


The Coven Formerly Known as Teikou

by perchance30



Series: The Teikou Coven [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Fae & Fairies, KagaKuro as Bros, M/M, Slow Burn, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-13 22:38:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 117,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7140473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perchance30/pseuds/perchance30
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The mysterious slayer, one that helped the relatively young Seirin clan in the most vicious battles between the supernatural races, existed only in whispers and shadows. Few believed he actually lived; fewer who fought against him survived. Seijuro himself had battled alongside the Seirin Slayers quite a few times over the years and never had he ever seen the slayer or even heard Seirin mention him.</p><p>Perhaps, the Phantom Slayer was a Pure. </p><p>Seijuro immediately dismissed that disturbing thought. Tetsuya had been the Last of the Pure, so rare a breed that vampires, werewolves, and even the Fae waged a war to find him. And they eventually succeeded, tearing him apart until there was nothing left to fear. </p><p>Until there was nothing left alive.  </p><p>For now, his original mission would wait. Seijuro still would find Taiga and tear his beating heart from his warm chest, but first, he would discover the slayer’s – and Seirin’s – most sacred secret.</p><p>(Obligatory AkaKuro Vampire Fic)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Phantom Slayer of Seirin

**Author's Note:**

> Every so often, a vampire AU must be written. This story is completely written up to the epilogue, but it's looooong. So my apologies ahead of time.

Kagami Taiga was marked for death. Akashi Seijuro, the head of the Rakuzan Coven, usually didn’t carry out assassinations himself, but he made an exception for this particular slayer.

Seijuro cared little for the Seirin Slayers. They were one of the most deadly slayer clans, but all the clan’s previous killings had been on vicious vampires, sadistic bastards whose miserable existences Seijuro would have liked to have ended himself. The clan worked sparingly with Seijuro’s Rakuzan and their allied covens—for reasons unknown but Seijuro never gave it much thought—but then, two weeks ago, Kagami Taiga of the Seirin Slayers crossed the line. He killed Mibuchi Reo. 

Eikichi had been with Reo at the time and said all he had tried to do was feed. Sure, most mortals weren’t too happy when someone took their life essence, but Rakuzan rarely made new vampires. They didn’t create mindless slaves of their dishes, and they left all their meals alive and in relatively good health, with the need of a day’s rest or so. Most of the time, their victims only remembered the experience as a fleeting dream, a memory they could almost grab but never could quite remember the details. 

There was absolutely no reason for Taiga to stab his dagger into Mibuchi’s chest and carve out his lukewarm heart, so Seijuro would make amends and teach the Seirin Slayers their place in the supernatural world. Their fragile existence remained because Seijuro let it. After all, how could mere mortals hope to survive in a war against vampires, the predominant rulers of the supernatural races? 

Seijuro crouched on the fire escape across from the dark apartment, Tokyo’s unabashed lights and piercing sounds an affront to the quiet calm of this enclave. Seijuro liked it here. For a vampire with heightened senses, the hustle and bustle of Shibuya and Ginzo were torturous affairs to be avoided at all costs. This secluded neighborhood would suit a vampire well, allowing them to hide in the shadows of the day and night. 

So why would the ace of Seirin choose to live where his enemies would have the most advantage?

Seijuro’s head shot up, his skin prickling with cool jolts of electricity. Something achingly and annoyingly familiar toyed with his senses, and he glared unfavorably at the rather deserted sidewalk below. 

As the rain battered Seijuro’s pulled-up hoodie and soaked his designer jeans, a short teen in a similar black hoodie but with light blue shorts finished his jog, fingers clasped behind his head to keep his passageways open and the oxygen free-flowing. His clothes hid any of his identifying features, but Seijuro could tell he was definitely a basketball player, if his sneaker choice and wristbands were any indication. 

The teen sucked in large gasps as a massive being came up to his side, a white and black…wolf? No, it must have been a dog, but it certainly was a beast, even if it seemed docile, rubbing its snout against the teen’s waist. Then the teen dropped his hand to his head, petting it with obvious affection. 

Then the teen froze, and his entire back stiffened. The beast to his side let out a low growl, and Seijuro wondered, if briefly, the teen could sense him. Was he a vampire, too?

No, he couldn’t have been. Seijuro would have sensed him, not just this faint, uncertain tingle upon the back of his neck. 

Then, the teen, almost expectantly, entered Taiga’s apartment building, though the lights in the apartment never came on. 

“Kagami doesn’t live alone,” Shintatrou reported earlier that evening over the phone. “Takao said he had a partner, another slayer. A brother. Just as deadly but there was something off about him.”

“How so?”

“Takao missed him during his initial scouting.”

So the Phantom Slayer of Seirin was real.

The mysterious slayer, one that helped the relatively young Seirin clan during the most vicious battles between the supernatural races, existed only in whispers and shadows. Few believe he actually lived, as fewer who fought against him survived the battles. Seijuro himself had battled alongside Seirin quite a few times over the years, and never had he ever seen the slayer or even heard Seirin mention him. 

Needless to say, Seijuro was intrigued. Takao didn’t miss anyone. He wasn’t quite as strong as the individual members of the once proud Teikou Coven, but like Shintarou, Takao Kazunari was a member of Shutoku, one of the strongest covens in Tokyo. And if Takao actually saw him, then the Phantom Slayer certainly deserved Seijuro’s attention. 

Perhaps, the Phantom Slayer was even a Pure. 

Seijuro immediately dismissed that disturbing thought. Tetsuya had been the Last Pure, so rare a breed that vampire clans, werewolves, and even the Fae waged a war to find him. And they eventually succeeded, tearing him apart until there was nothing left to fear. 

Until there was nothing left alive. 

Seijuro ignored the bitter pit in his stomach and the cool electricity of truth. There couldn’t be another Pure, but it made sense why Kagami Taiga lived in the shelter of darkness when it could consume him, why he would risk his own life. His “brother” must not have been related to him but given to him to protect in the shadows where the Pure thrived. 

For now, his original mission would wait. Seijuro still would find Taiga and tear his beating heart from his warm chest, but first, he would discover the slayer’s—and Seirin’s—most sacred secret.

Seijuro jumped down from his perch, zipping between the cars, jumping from shadow to shadow. He leapt onto the fire escape, vaulting up the stairs until he reached the top floor. He sliced through the lock with a flick of his claws and entered the apartment in one swift movement. It was dark, but he preferred it that way. 

The apartment was small, practically a studio, but Seijuro felt the warmth radiating from its very fiber, in the worn cushions of the couch and chairs, in the frayed curtains and the cracked mugs—a pair on the counter. There was dinner on the coffee table, two plates, silverware, and a pot with condensation on the lid. It must have been cooked before Taiga’s brother went for his run. 

The boy—and he was a boy, compared to the immortal Seijuro—and his dog were nowhere to be seen, but he heard the zip of the dagger before it scratched his cheek and imbedded in the wooden cabinet directly behind Seijuro. If he hadn’t ducked, he’d be missing an eye. 

The boy unleashed the beast, but the mongrel announced its attack with a menacing growl. But Seijuro wouldn’t be surprised twice. He ripped the curtain rod from the window and forced it the lunging dog’s mouth. 

The Phantom Slayer certainly deserved the fanfare he had received. The mongrel was only a distraction, and he twisted his body toward the lunging boy who hadn't changed out of his sweat shorts and hoodie, though he'd strapped on a few slayer weapons. He leveled a silver dagger at Seijuro, aimed at Seijuro’s bicep to free the beast, but Seijuro read the boy’s moves. He flipped over the dog, keeping the curtain rod lodged in its mouth while delivering a swift kick to the boy's side as he passed. 

The boy slammed hard against the counter, but he managed to keep hold of the dagger. The beast growled and tried to run to his master's aid, so Seijuro let him, just so he could catch the dog's collar. He squeezed, enclosing the leather strap around the beast's neck until it coughed and hacked and whimpered. 

Seijuro might have been ruthless, but he wasn't bloodthirsty. He would only knock the dog unconscious, then overpower his master.

But the boy surpassed his expectations, attacking him once more. Seijuro dropped the collar in order to defend himself, and he blocked a swipe with a forearm. The boy countered, spinning on his heel and lifting his leg to hit Seijuro's stomach. 

A normal person—a normal vampire, if there ever was one—would have fallen for such an attack, but not the former head of the powerful and feared Teikou Coven. Seijuro countered the boy's foot with crossed wrists, then flipped him.

The boy was good and landed hard but upright. He pushed off the counter the moment Seijuro heard the rough growl of the beast behind him. 

Enough. 

Seijuro ducked the boy's kick once more—this one aimed at his head—and dropped to the ground, elbowing the dog in the snout. The dog whimpered, stunned, and its momentarily hesitation allowed Seijuro to focus on the boy who anticipated his assault, pivoting on his back foot and striking backwards with his blade.

It should have caught Seijuro in the gut, slicing him open and draining him of the life force he'd stolen before coming here tonight, but Seijuro caught the boy's wrist and snapped it ruthlessly. 

A painful screech rent the air. The mortal boy withdrew as the dog took his place, but Seijuro ended that fight quickly with a strategically placed punch. 

The boy recovered the best he could in such a short time. His broken arm hung lifelessly at his side while he took a defensive stance with his dagger horizontal in front of him, his hood lowered so Seijuro could just see the dusting of blue hair and the shimmer of blue eyes over the blade's edge.

Sky blue. Did all Pure have that color hair and eyes, or...Seijuro wouldn't hope. 

"Why did you come here, Akashi-san of Rakuzan?" the boy demanded, his voice breathless, his shoulders heaving.

Seijuro raised his chin and regarded the boy with an elitist air. "Kagami Taiga has been marked for death. I came to deliver the claim personally."

"I will not allow you to harm Taiga-kun."

"He killed a member of my coven."

"Your coven members attacked us."

"And that warranted Reo's heart carved from his chest? Seirin has never been so brazen."

"We protect our own as you protect yours."

"So be it."

The boy's eyes narrowed; the blade flickered in the low light of the apartment. "So be it."

The fight was over before it began, though the boy was magnificent. He fought bravely and strongly, his Pure strength not rivaling a vampire's but stronger than a mere mortal’s. No matter what, he refused to fall even when Seijuro snapped his knee and broke his ankle.

Even for a Pure, the pain must have been crippling. 

“Yield,” Seijuro demanded. He wasn’t here to maim this boy, and yet, the boy remained firm. 

“Erase the mark upon Taiga-kun’s name.”

So Seijuro scratched him across the cheek and knocked out the boy’s legs before straddling his slender waist to keep him down, and that was when the sweet scent of a Pure's blood wafted past his nose. 

And it was divine.

The sudden intrusion overwhelmed his senses, dragging him down to the level of a mere mortal, a slave to his sensual urges. He wanted to wrench the boy's neck up and sink his teeth into the smooth column, tasting all the raw flavors the boy’s scent promised. 

But Seijuro wouldn't. He learned how to control his bloodlust when Teikou took Tetsuya for safekeeping, but the scent was too tempting, laced with vanilla and…cheeseburgers?

Seijuro ripped the hood from the boy's head to reveal the mop of blue hair and fierce, familiar eyes that condemned him without a word spoken. 

It couldn’t be. There was absolutely no way... 

“Tetsuya?”

Blood trickled down Tetsuya’s flushed cheek from the three scratches, but he made no move to wipe them. Instead, those furious blue eyes shifted away from Seijuro’s, afraid to meet them once more. 

“Akashi-san.”

“You’re…You’re dead,” Seijuro managed, the painful memories resurfacing. “I saw what was left of your body.”

Tetsuya’s face contorted with great sorrow, and he let out a brief sigh. “Or so I wanted you to believe.”

“What—What do you mean?”

“It means…I wanted to be save that which irreplaceable…” His eyes snapped open and over Seijuro’s shoulder, like there was someone at the window, and the brief loss of concentration cost Seijuro a hit to the gut. Tetsuya used the butt of the dagger his time, but it wasn’t enough. It wouldn’t be enough to save him from the cruelty of the emperor. 

Seijuro ensnared Tetsuya’s torso, caging him against the counter with his arms, and a predatory growl slipped through his clenched teeth. Tetsuya let out a breathless gasp, pain flickering through his usually serene face, and despite the raging anger coursing through his cold veins, unbelievable shock and relief crashed down upon Seijuro along with a heavy dose of sorrow. All this time, Tetsuya had been alive, and Teikou hadn’t known. _He_ hadn’t known.

They failed to safeguard one of their own, but Seijuro would take responsibility. He wouldn’t allow his duty—his coven—to be separated again. The emperor within him wouldn’t entertain such disobedience, and Seijuro wouldn’t allow Tetsuya from his sight.

Tetsuya’s apprehension was palpable as Seijuro took his cheeks in his hands, forcing their eyes to meet. Then, he spoke with an unbreakable demand no Pure could ever defy. “Sleep, Tetsuya. You are back where you belong.”

Tetsuya struggled, his pleading face almost pathetic in its earnest to fight, but ultimately, his blood forced him to obey. With one finally utter, “No…” he slumped into Seijuro’s awaiting arms.

Seijuro caught him easily and indulged, licking the warm blood from Tetsuya’s face and placing his scent once more upon his mortal. Kagami Taiga would get more than just the death he’d already courted. Now that Seijuro found a member of his coven in Taiga’s hands, the slayer would suffer a fate worse than death’s gentle embrace. 

He’d be forced to serve the emperor forever. 

*^*^*

The Moonlight Tavern buzzed with dark allure and a tantalizing mystique in the not-quite dead of night. The bar serviced all the supernatural races, even the Fae who could only venture out during the light of day, but Daiki believed that was for the best. He hated dealing with everybody in general—except maybe Satsuki, his sired vampire, and a certain slayer, though even they stretched his very thin nerves on certain days. As it was, Daiki skipped his shift at the bar for the eighth day in the row—he was the bouncer after all, but Wakamatsu was always yelling at him to either bus the tables or help out behind the bar—yeah, right. He was Touou’s ace, the coven’s best fighter, and he would not waste all that talent on cleaning up after rowdy drunkards. 

So he sneaked behind the bar and grabbed one of the blood packets, only to find the coolers empty. He snarled, glaring down at Wakamatsu who currently mixed a Bloody Cosmo with a fresh packet and the appropriate liquor. “Hey, where’d you get that?”

Sakurai immediately bowed behind him, holding a tray of pub grub, “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

Daiki barely offered him an annoyed glance. There was no way Sakurai kept the packets from him. Sakurai might be nothing more than an apologetic mushroom, but he had a soft spot for Daiki. Sakurai only fed off of gourmet chefs and foodies for sublime flavors and combinations, and he sometimes brought back some of the richest crimson for Daiki to drink. 

“Now, now, Aomine. I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding,” Imayoshi, the head of the coven, eased as he came behind the bar and patted the enraged ace’s head. “I’m sure after you’ve cleaned some of the tables, maybe helped in the kitchen, you’d find these coolers filled right back up.”

“How you can drink stale blood is beyond me,” Wakamatsu grumbled, mixing another drink before handing it to Satsuki to serve. “Seriously. It’s disgusting. Unnatural.”

“How would you know unless you’ve had some?” Daiki growled, but then a fan slapped him over the hand. 

“Ow! Satsuki!”

“Stop menacing the others, Dai-chan! I brought you some packets today. They’re in the back refrigerator.”

Daiki’s stomach roiled. Oh, Satsuki was a great predator who knew from whom and from where to get the best blood, but syphoning it and then storing it herself usually led to a spoiled batch that no one could keep down. 

He grumbled a thank you and headed toward the back—and then out of this poor excuse for a bar, so he could meet with a certain someone—when his cell phone beeped. He hit open his message app, his eyes widening in surprise. It made no sense. After all this time, why would _he_ be reaching out to Daiki?

There were no options. He couldn’t refuse, so he slipped the phone into his back pocket and grabbed his leather jacket off one of the stools. 

“Did Satsuki’s ‘cooking’ finally urge you to hunt, Aomine?” Imayoshi laughed. 

“No.” Nothing could get Daiki to feed on a living being ever again. “Akashi summoned me.”

*^*^*

“Hmm…why can’t we be in the front hunting pack, eh, Senpai?”

Kasamatsu delivered one of his bone-crushing kicks that would have snapped a mortal’s back in half, but instead, it just really, really hurt a young vampire like Ryouta. “Keep your voice down, moron!” 

Ryouta was too busy groaning to retort that Kasamatsu’s blaring admonishments carried much louder than his own whines, but he managed to right himself, all the while cringing and whimpering, and pretending to be a mortal lounging around the Imperial East Gardens. 

“You’ll get your turn to hunt the Fae,” Kasamatsu replied, much lower this time. Ryouta almost thought this tone sounded sympathetic. “I know it matters more to you than anyone in Kaijo, but you have to listen to me.”

“Because you’re the head of the coven?” Ryouta remarked, which only earned him another kick. 

“No, idiot! Because the Fae Queen wants her half-vampire son back, and I won’t allow it!” Ryouta’s eyes widened, and Kasamatsu lifted his leg, poised for another attack. “What! Don’t tell me you didn’t think I knew? I’ll hit you again, idiot!”

Throwing up his hands to cover his face, Ryouta shied away and opened his mouth to—plea, apologize, whimper in pain, he wasn’t sure—when his phone beeped. Kasamatsu blinked, leg ready to hit while Ryouta’s eyes slowly widened as he read the text. 

“Who is it?” Kasamatsu demanded. “Moriyama? Hayakawa?”

“…no. A fan girl. She saw my spread in last month’s magazine and wanted to know if I was kidding about being a vampire.”

That, of course, earned him another kick. “I told you not to do those anymore! And I said if you were stupid enough to still do them, then not to mention you’re a—”

Another beep cut him off in mid-kick, and Ryouta’s face froze with stone seriousness. 

Kasamatsu dropped his foot, concern coloring his voice. “What is it, Kise?”

“It’s…It’s from Akashicchi.” His own voice was cold, devoid of any emotion, as he stood, back rigid, eyes serious. “I’ve been summoned.”

*^*^*

The snow-covered woods conspired against Himuro Tatsuya, leaving a clear path for his attackers to follow. He heard their menacing growls behind him, rising louder and louder as they gained more ground. Tatsuya weaved through a particularly dense part of the brush, but the bloodcurdling howl cutting through the brutal, night air startled him. Tatsuya tripped over his own legs and crashed hard into the snow, rolling down a small decline. He somehow managed to find his feet and even vault from mid-roll into a full-out run, but it wasn’t enough. 

He ducked at the very last moment, and a werewolf soared over his head. He pivoted and delivered a hard kick to another stomach before knocking another with a rough uppercut. A third slashed his arm. A fourth bit down hard upon his shoulder, tearing through his black, leather trench coat, and straight into his muscles, dragging him to his knees. Splaying his long, dagger-like nails, Tatsuya moved to stab the wolf, but he stopped when he saw the pack surrounded him, all fuming, all growling with a promise of maiming and death. 

“I don’t know what’s going on,” he whispered, his strength draining with each drop of blood that slipped from his body. “I haven’t spoken to Makoto-chan. If you just give me time to—”

A rather large black wolf with blue-tinted fur barked viciously, and Tatsuya turned to his head as his cheek was flecked with saliva. The teeth closed in; heated breath swept across Tatsuya’s skin, sending a fierce shiver through his body. 

And then a new type of growl cut through the immediate area. 

“Leave Muro-chin alone, or I’ll crush you.”

“Atsushi…” Tatsuya murmured, relief flooding him. Even though he couldn’t see the monster vampire looming just behind the pack of werewolves, Tatsuya imagined his partner’s long purple hair swaying in the gentle breeze, a churro dangling from his mouth. He’d slowly bite off the end, a subtle omen that never ceased to steal Tatsuya’s breath. 

Of course, his breath slowly slipped away now, even after the werewolf unhinged his jaws from Tatsuya’s shoulder. 

Another set of barks and growls affronted Tatsuya, but he didn’t have time to reply before Murasakibara Atsushi tightened his fists and finished his churro. 

“This is so annoying,” he complained as he tore through werewolf after werewolf, hitting them against trees, rocks, even each other. “Such a pain. You couldn’t have waited until after I finished my churro?”

The fight ended quickly, the werewolves whimpering and whining and licking their wounds as they retreated into the forest. Atsushi came to stand by Tatsuya’s side, taking out his half-eaten bag of chips and tasting one before offering Tatsuya a hand. 

“The werewolves were unusually rowdy, Atsushi,” Tatsuya hissed, clutching his weeping shoulder. “Something’s happened in Tokyo to set them off.”

“Hmm…” Atsushi crunched a chip rather loudly between his teeth. “Too much hassle to find out, Muro-chin.”

“It’s the Yosen Coven’s job to control the werewolves, Atsushi.” He leaned heavily against Atsushi’s side, for the warmth of his freshly drunken blood, he told himself. The pain in his shoulder still throbbed, but he could tell the wounds had closed. “If they were to start preying on mortals now, surely we would be blamed. It is best to find out now what happened than have to deal with the clean-up later.”

“Hm…Muro-chin is no fun.” He undid the collar the collar to Tatsuya’s throat, revealing his pale skin to the elements. “You are such a bother.”

“Atsushi…” 

Atsushi’s met his eyes, those purple irises speckled with the silver glint of vampire blood. They were breathtaking. “I don’t like to share, Muro-chin, but it would be more of bother to carry you all the way back to the den.”

Tatsuya’s usual poker face faltered. “Thank you, Atsushi, but your blood is far too…polluted.”

Atsushi grumbled, “I could just leave you here. Those werewolves seem to like vampire flesh.”

And no one thought Atsushi had a sense of humor. 

Atsushi sunk his teeth into Tatsuya’s vein, which helped to color his furious blush. Blood flooded his once strained veins, and Tatsuya moaned when the younger vampire’s groin hardened and pressed against his stomach as the stimulating sensations washed over their bodies. 

Drinking and feeding were very sensual acts, but right now, Tatsuya would only accept what he needed after their fight and pulled away prematurely. He wasn’t back to original strength by any means, but he’d have enough to make it back to their coven’s den to rest.

Atsushi’s entire hand patted down Tatsuya’s head, almost like he would pet a puppy, and Tatsuya hit his hand away. “I’m not your pet.”

If anything, it was the other way around, but Atsushi just shrugged. “You do follow me around everywhere.”

“Oh? Then why did _you_ find _me_ in the woods?”

Atsushi was saved by his phone, which suddenly beeped. Though the noise was soft, it resounded in the silent forest. “Who’s the text from?”

The bag of chips slipped through Atsushi’s suddenly numb hands. 

*^*^*

“Shin-chan, you do know you’re a vampire, right?” Kazunari laughed as he followed the pouting Shintarou from late-night store to late-night store. “I’m not sure Oha Asa’s lucky items apply to our kind.”

“Have you ever lost your head, Takao?” Shintarou snapped. 

Kazunari groaned loudly, so Shintarou could hear. When his partner used _that_ tone, Shintarou already knew the answer to his own question and wanted to drill it into Kazunari for his apparent ignorance. 

Well, screw that. He’d answer, but he’d make his belligerence known. “Of course not.” 

“How about an arm? A leg? A body part of equal importance?”

Kazunari rolled his eyes. “You know I haven’t.”

“Then perhaps we should not tempt fate.”

“Oh, and just what pray tell will happen if we ‘tempt fate’? You might not find your favorite tape for your claws? Perhaps you might actually have to act like a normal—er, vampire, not tsundere? You might even crack a smile if you’re not so worried about what the universe thinks.”

"Do you know the last time I didn't procure Oha Asa's lucky item, Takao?" The raw, exasperated tone in Shintarou's voice shocked Kazunari into silence. "It was the day the Teikou Coven dissolved. I won't let that happen to Shutoku."

The next line was so low Kazunari almost missed it completely, "I won't let that happen to you."

"Oh, Shin-chan!" Kazunari tossed his arm about Shintarou’s shoulders and played the part of the fool. "I didn't know you cared!"

It was lie. Despite the close-knit bonds of the Shutoku Coven, Kazunari and Shintarou shared something special, something deeper than the simple bonds of friendship, even if they never spoke of it. Shintarou sired Kazunari, which created a bond between them stronger than all others. 

So Kazunari quickly googled the elusive item—a special edition basketball—and grabbed Shintarou's hand to drag him toward the store on the other part of town. Two subways and a bus ride later, they procured the special item, and Kazunari snorted, crossing his arms on the travel back home as Shintarou stared at the seemingly commonplace ball, almost spellbound. Kazunari would have called him melancholy if Shintarou ever got that way. 

Surprisingly (to Kazunari, at least), Shintarou spoke first. “You didn’t ask what happened when the Teikou Coven dissolved.”

“You didn’t offer,” was Kazunari’s easy response. 

“You normally pester.”

Kazunari shrugged. “You were like, super Sayian powerful, right? Everyone talks about your original coven with respect, but _you_ never talk about it. So I’ve learned it’s a lost cause, Shin-chan.”

Shintarou’s voice was so soft, so broken, that Kazunari shuddered. “Have you ever heard of the Pure, Kazunari?”

“The Pure?” Kazunari thought for a moment before his eyes turned away, downcast. “The mortal children of vampires, right? But that’s supposed to be impossible. Don’t vampires make vampires, even when mating with mortals?”

“So it was believed. There hadn’t been a Pure born in so long that their sheer presence was thought to be legend…until Aomine found one. A boy.” Shintarou spun the ball about his pointer finger, and though it seemed to absorb all of Shintarou’s attention, Kazunari knew it held none of it. “The Pure are like us with enhanced speed, strength, agility, but still have an aversion to light, even if they can face the sun. They are not as powerful as our kind and are susceptible to our control, even more so than a human because they are born from us. Their blood is unique, not prone to the polluted essence like most humans and far more powerful to us because of their origins.”

“I know, Shin-chan.” Kazunari swallowed hard, suddenly feeling queasy, sick. “…remember Taiga’s brother I missed on the first swipe of his apartment?”

Shintarou’s eyes were demanding, even unforgiving. 

“I didn’t miss him. I just—I didn’t want to tell you because, well…I wasn’t sure exactly what down with you and Teikou, and you’ve heard the rumors. Anyway, when you said it was Akashi asking, I figured I’d better tell—”

“It’s…It’s all right, Kazunari.” Shintarou’s hands shook until his eyes snapped towards Kazunari. “Rumors? What rumors?”

“That you guys were so powerful because you fed off a Pure kid.”

“What! No!” Shintarou scowled, and it was perhaps the first time Kazunari ever heard him shout. “Don’t be ridiculous. We cared for him. Sheltered him after Daiki brought him to us, said the boy couldn’t remain where he was. We had no choice but to protect him, from the ones who harmed him and the ones who wished to do him more harm.”

“What—What do you mean?” 

“While it is true their blood is more pure than a mere mortal’s…” Shintarou swallowed hard and resituated his glasses, a nervous gesture Kazunari read. “…legend said that they could make a vampire mortal again.”

Kazunari made a rude noise.

“As you can imagine,” he continued, terse and dismissive, “this made him a target for covens who treasure their status as rulers of the moonlight. For werewolves and the Fae, they, too, wished to control him, to end the domination of our kind. When it was found that Teikou safeguarded the only known Pure, war between Teikou and our allied covens broke out against the Dark Claws, the werewolves, and the Fae. That was shortly before…”

Shintarou clasped the basketball between his large hands, snapping it immobile. 

“…before you made me into a vampire,” Kazunari concluded, his own voice unable to lift past a whisper. 

Shintarou remained silent. 

Unpleasant memories resurfaced, but Kazunari dispersed them immediately. He didn’t want to remember the sharp teeth that dug into his vein and spread a fierce coldness throughout his body. Not now. Not when Shintarou was obviously remembering much worse memories than even his loss of mortality.

Kazunari threw his arm about Shintarou, drawing him closer against his still warm body. The blood they’d drank earlier flowed their veins, creating a quasi-memory of what it felt like to be human. He hoped it gave some comfort to his sire, though he could do without Shintarou’s augmented strength at the moment. “Shin-chan…there’s something I need to tell you, about Taiga’s brother. He’s—” 

It was then Shintarou's phone vibrated with an incoming text.

"Who is it?" Kazunari asked, glad for the distraction. 

Shintarou stopped breathing, or so it appeared to Kazunari. So he leaned over his sire’s shoulder to read the message and felt the once warm blood go cold in his veins. 

Akashi Seijuro, former leader of the strongest coven in Tokyo, beckoned his once proud Teikou vampires to his side. 

“Are you—Are you going to see him?” Kazunari forced himself to ask, even though he knew the answer. 

Shintarou replied, voice strained by tension and burden, “I have no choice.”

Kazunari didn’t doubt that in the least. 

_To Be Continued..._


	2. Coven Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting twice in a day? Everyone grab a snowball!

Taiga’s desperation flooded Tetsuya. He could feel it vibrating on a very intimate level, aching terribly in Tetsuya’s belly, and through their bond, Tetsuya saw Taiga rush into the apartment they shared, feeling his brother-in-all-but-blood shake. Taiga spun around to see all the devastation their home took because of Tetsuya and Seijuro’s fight. 

Taiga frantically searched, calling Tetsuya’s name over and over, almost breaking down Tetsuya’s bedroom door from the force he threw it open. Then Nigou’s painful whimper drew Taiga to the kitchen, and he collapsed to the floor, shaky hands running through the dog’s ruffled and bloodied fur. 

Taiga, who initially feared Nigou. Taiga, who yelled at Tatsuya for giving Tetsuya a “freakin’ beast.” Taiga, who cared about Tetsuya more than anyone, pressed his face against the dog’s back, and when he lifted his head, frustrated tears shimmered on his cheeks. 

The sight jerked Tetsuya completely awake, his pale eyes snapping open with a surfacing gasp. The pain lingered in his wrist, knee, and ankle, forcing a moan through his tense lips. He saw the bandage wrapped about his hurt wrist and then about his knee and ankle, too. Casts were unnecessary of course. In a matter hours, his broken wrist and ankle would mend, and by the next moonrise, it would be as if he’d never harmed them—or Seijuro hadn’t snapped them clean.

Akashi Seijuro, the former head of the Teikou Coven and the current head of Rakuzan. At one time in Tetsuya’s life, Seijuro was one of his five ardent protectors, but the Teikou Coven was more than just that. They were his brothers, the first family he ever knew until the war came and destroyed their lives and their coven. 

Tetsuya lifted up his other wrist and let out a sigh, grateful for the sweatband hugging it. 

So many emotions stirred in Tetsuya uncontrollably, all of them unwanted. He didn’t want to be with Rakuzan, let alone Teikou. He’d _escaped_ from their superior claws and took his rightful place as a vampire slayer with Seirin, who taught him the true nature of a Pure. They would never betray him, not like Teikou had. 

The black-out curtains had been drawn, bathing the room in shadows, but Seijuro left the door open a crack, so he could check on Tetsuya without making a sound. Or perhaps to make sure Tetsuya didn’t escape. 

The hallway light shone through the darkness, and though it was soft, Tetsuya could see his surroundings thanks to his enhanced eyesight. He was in his room in Teikou Tower. 

At least, that was what he called it back when he was ten and Daiki brought him here the first time. In the huge, two-tiered penthouse at the top of one of the tallest condo buildings in Shinjuku, Tetsuya had his own suite with modern floor-to-ceiling windows—at least _he_ could withstand the sun—a bathroom with a glass shower, and an awesome walk-in closet with every type of clothing imaginable. 

But what caught his attention was how the room was restored to its former condition, pristine and clean, not the destroyed battlefield of gore and destruction it had become. The uneasiness returned full force, the sadistic laughter of that bastard Haizaki in his ear, and Tetsuya shot up and reached for the weapon that no longer hung on his shoulder. 

Then, an overwhelming relief rushed through Tetsuya, and he wrapped himself in the natural warm glow of Taiga’s presence in the back of his mind. Through their bond, Taiga felt him, awake and physically well, and for the first time, _he_ was the calm one of them. Tetsuya would have laughed if not for the anxiety still lingering in his heart, but he was infinitely glad for Taiga, reassuring him that everything would be fine as long as they were alive. Everything else was just details. Taiga would eventually find him, but Tetsuya wouldn’t wait for him. Not this time. Not here, in Teikou. 

He needed out, like he needed it five years ago, so he swung his legs over the bed and stood—and promptly fell. His ankle and knee ached, and the effects of Seijuro’s command still weighed heavily upon him. Seijuro must have lifted it if he was awake, but the force in which he slept made his limbs heavy and limp. 

When his legs finally stabilized, he staggered into the hallway, making sure no one else occupied it, not that it really mattered. He knew from experience a vampire’s senses were much sharper than his, despite his misfortune to have been born from one. He shook the unnecessary thoughts from his mind and passed Daiki’s suite door, sparing only the tiniest of glances toward it. He endured the involuntary body shudder to continue toward the exit. He’d have to pass the entrance to the kitchen, Atsushi’s domain; the gym, Seijuro’s lair; the infirmary, Shintarou’s expertise; and the TV room, Ryouta’s stay—before reaching the two-storied living room with the large windows that only remained uncovered at night. 

Seijuro had renovated the living area after he moved in. Originally, Tetsuya had sat there in front of tiny, ornate window for hours at a time, observing, wondering, remembering what the outside world. At first, he hadn’t cared to return to reality. It had been cruel and unforgiving to him, and in Teikou, he was safeguarded by real vampires, treated like a treasured member of their coven. Then the Shinjuku’s lights drew his attention, and he began to miss the little things, like popsicles and basketball. He loved to play basketball with his best friend Ogiwara Shigehiro, but then he couldn’t. 

Seijuro must have noticed. He noticed everything, and he’d barred Tetsuya from the living room and parts of the second floor for three weeks. The noise was atrocious, and the black cloth covering the doorway to the living room was tempting, but Seijuro’s orders were absolute. And on that fourth Monday, Seijuro revealed the new two-level living room, complete with full-length windows. 

Tetsuya had been overjoyed, pressing his face against what he later realized was just another wall in his elaborate prison cell. 

He wouldn’t go back to that.

Familiar voices of his youth stopped him at the kitchen’s door, and he pressed his body flat against the frame. He’d done this as a child, listening to Teikou recount the events of the day’s battles. They always knew he was listening—or at least, Seijuro did—so they spoke in a code until he was old enough to understand and accept the gory details of war. 

Now was no different.

“What the hell, Akashi?” Daiki demanded, his anger simmering just on the edge of his voice. He sounded more tired than Tetsuya remembered. “Not only do you call us to meet, but you bring us _here_?”

“Easing your discomfort is not my priority, Daiki. We have much more pressing issues.” Seijuro sounded as straightforward and authoritative as ever. “It has come to my attention that the Seirin Slayers have broken the Winter Pact. They must be destroyed.”

Tetsuya’s eyes grew unbearably wide. Taiga must have felt his anxiety because there was a surge of comfort trying to ease his nerves, but it couldn’t win. It wouldn’t here. 

“What?” Ryouta’s usually cheerful voice was tight, concerned. “Akashicchi, you can’t be serious. Seirin has been one of the most supportive clans in Tokyo.”

“They stole from us, Ryouta. I will not tolerate such defiance.”

“If you are talking about Mibuchi, then this does not include us.” Tetsuya could practically see Shintarou resituate his glasses. “Kagami Taiga is fierce but has always adhered to the pact’s spirit.”

“But you were quick to provide his location to me earlier, Shintarou, and even had your hawk-eyed shadow scout his living quarters.”

 _Takao_ , Tetsuya fumed. When he escaped, he’d play that nuisance a visit. 

“That was a matter of survival for my coven,” Shintarou replied blandly, but Tetsuya heard the nervous tick in his voice. “It would not do us well to go to war with Rakuzan.”

“No, that is true,” Seijuro allowed. “You would all do well to remember that.”

“We’re here, aren’t we?” Daiki growled. 

“Not all of us.”

The pragmatic nature of Seijuro’s voice drew Tetsuya closer, and he couldn’t stop himself from easing open the door until he saw the five members of the once powerful Teikou Coven. They looked no different than he remembered, all appearing in their early twenties, despite some of them being hundreds of years old. Seijuro appeared calm and detached at the head of the granite-top island, dressed in his black jacket from earlier with a light blue undershirt. Seijuro moved to Kyoto and joined the Rakuzan Coven after the war ended. Part of Tetsuya had wondered if he just couldn’t be in Tokyo anymore. 

Daiki stood to Seijuro’s left, eyes dull, mouth curved in an ever-present frustrated frown. His dark red and black clothing lent him a threatening appearance, even if he seemed more somber than fierce. He’d been Teikou’s ace, their most deadly vampire, and after the war, he’d joined Touou, another fierce coven. However, he’d lost that edge that always made others fear him, and out of all of them, he’d been one of the easiest to watch over the years. 

Same with Shintarou, who stayed in Tokyo as well and joined the veteran coven Shutoku. Tetsuya watched them closely throughout the years he’d been in Seirin, and though they remained a dominate presence in Tokyo, they never made a play for total power. He could see why. Shintarou remained terse and aloof, but he still wrapped his fingertips. He still carried the lucky item Oha Asa demanded he find daily. That killer instinct was gone, though, lost to fear. 

Ryouta’s own once infallible smile was lost, too, and though Tetsuya could see the light remained in his eyes, even after all the death and bloodshed that had been met at his hand, the war hadn’t left him unscathed. Tetsuya kept close tabs on him, but that hadn’t been hard with Ryouta’s modeling career. The rumors of his supernatural origins, though scoffed at by many of the mainstream populace, offered him an allure that girls, especially, could not ignore. 

The last of Teikou, the giant Atsushi, stood on the opposite side of Seijuro, apparently just as bored as ever, though Tetsuya could see the quiet contentment in his eyes. He enjoyed being back among his original coven members, and despite all the bitterness Tetsuya held for the Teikou Coven, he empathized. A part of him missed the closeness they’d shared before the war, the same closeness he shared with Taiga, with Seirin, now.

He wouldn’t allow Teikou to destroy Seirin. 

“Other than power,” Shintarou interrupted Tetsuya’s thoughts, “what have we ever had that could have been of any importance to Seirin, Akashi?”

Seijuro’s eyes hardened; one glowed a vibrant yellow. “Tetsuya.”

Tetsuya let the door drop. He was stupid to have stayed. He needed to get out, warn Seirin before it was too late. 

Lively rage overtook Atsushi, and his voice rumbled through the stunned silence of the kitchen. 

“I will crush them.”

The intense emotion in Atsushi’s voice shocked Tetsuya, halting him in mid-step, and Daiki and Ryouta’s agitated replies followed quickly thereafter. 

“Seirin was responsible for Testu’s death?”

“They killed Kurokocchi?”

“It makes no sense,” Shintarou added with an air of rationality, even though the hesitation was evident. Second guessing Seijuro was not tolerated. “Seirin initiated the Winter Pact. Why would they want to end the war if they killed the Pure?”

“I said they stole Tetsuya, Shintarou, not killed him.”

“Wait.” Hope cooled Daiki’s once heated words. “Are you saying…Akashi, you’re not saying….he—there’s no way he’s—”

“Kurokocchi is alive!” Ryouta shouted, as expressive and cheerful as Tetsuya had ever heard him. 

“Yes,” Seijuro said, a tenderness in his voice Tetsuya hadn’t heard in so long. “Tetsuya is currently outside of the door, listening to our conversation like he did as a child.”

Tetsuya cursed in English, thanks to Taiga’s bad habits, and he dashed down the hall as fast as he could with his injuries. He’d stayed too long. He shouldn’t have indulged. Even now, he could hear the kitchen door being torn off his hinges and heavy footsteps pounding the hardwood floor behind him. 

“Kurokocchi!” Ryouta shouted, and Tetsuya ducked at the last moment, sending Ryouta soaring over his head rather than succumbing to one of the vampire’s violent embraces. 

_Don’t look into their eyes,_ Tetsuya pleaded with himself, and as Ryouta landed on his feet, agile and balanced, Tetsuya dropped to the ground. He swiped out Ryouta’s knees, then leapt over the falling vampire. In a forward roll, he entered the living room, but a hard hand clamped down upon his forearm. 

“Tetsu! You—You’re—”

 _Don’t look._

He elbowed Daiki in the gut, freeing his arm, and screamed out when he slammed his right fist into Daiki’s cheek. 

His wrist still hadn’t healed. 

Tetsuya grabbed Shintarou’s lucky item with his good hand before using the vampire’s shoulder as a vault, flipping over Shintarou like he knew Kazunari loved to do. He came face-to-stomach with Atsushi, and an Ignite Pass Kai sent Atsushi to his knees, whimpering, “Kuro-chin...”

_Don’t._

But Seijuro was only an inch taller than him, and when Atsushi fell, Tetsuya made the mistake of locking eyes with him. 

Seijuro uttered a one-word command. “Stop.”

Tetsuya struggled. He would never let them win without a fight. He wouldn’t succumb to their commands against his soul again, but in the end, his body betrayed him. His trembling fists fell to his thighs, impotent and loose, but he could stare at Seijuro and condemn with his glare. Even if others didn’t know how he felt by his expressions, he knew Seijuro could. He always had. 

Teikou always had. 

Tetsuya wasn’t sure what happened after that, only that when he came to, he was uncomfortable. Not because his wrists were restricted behind his back, though that hurt as well, but his head was cradled in a once familiar lap, and fingers methodically trailed through his hair. His feet were free now, save socks, and cool hands held them in place, trying to reassure him. 

Ryouta and Daiki, no doubt, but he wasn’t ten anymore and had a nightmare. He was nineteen, less than six months away from becoming an adult, and he sat up quickly, too quickly because Ryouta’s fingers fisted in his hair and almost tore out a good chunk. Daiki, too, let his feet go reluctantly, almost causing him to topple off of the couch, but before he could discern where he was or how tight the ropes on wrists were, Atsushi’s entire hand clamped down upon his head. 

“Who bit Kuro-chin?” he demanded. “I will crush them.”

Bit? Tetsuya felt for his sweatband, which was now absent from his wrist. They must have seen the mark when they were tying his arms together. 

“He doesn’t have to answer that now,” Daiki quickly spat, and a heavy arm flung about his shoulders, pulling him close. “Tetsu is alive, Murasakibara. _Alive._ That’s all that matters right now.”

After five years of separation, Tetsuya so wasn’t ready for Ryouta’s tackle hug, cringing as the superhuman force almost sent him into Daiki’s lap. Ryouta was muttering, almost too quick to hear, but Tetsuya caught bits and pieces of the sobbed words, about how Ryouta missed him, how he thought about him about all the time, how he couldn’t sleep at first without his warm Kurokocchi to cuddle with. 

Shintarou said nothing, just pushed up his glasses and tugged on a bedraggled strand of Tetsuya’s hair before settling his hand on his back. 

So many hands, so much coldness from the vampires’ skin that it would have caused anyone else to shiver but not him. Instead, a cold fury burned raw in Tetsuya’s stomach. 

“Aomine-san, Kise-san, Midorima-san, Murasakibara-san,” he uttered, and the four hands upon him stilled. “Let me go.”

“Kurokocchi…” 

“What’s with the formal names, Tetsu?” 

Tetsuya jerked his head away from Atsushi’s beasty hold and would have stood if not for the hand that pushed him down to the couch with steady, threatening pressure upon his chest, directly over his heart. He wondered if Seijuro needed to feel the undeniable proof of his existence or if he was reminding Tetsuya he could gouge out his heart with his sharp nails. 

“By now, you must have realized your tiny window to escape has closed, Tetsuya.”

When Tetsuya refused to meet those glaciered, heterochromatic eyes, Seijuro’s bent knuckles tapped the bottom of his chin and forced his head upwards. 

“You allowed us to believe you were dead. That is unforgivable.”

“And what difference did it make?” He was proud that his voice remained steady and his eyes eerily dry. “I wasn’t anything but your glorified pet.”

“Is that…” Daiki’s hand ruffled his already messy locks. “Tetsu, that’s not what you were. You were a member of our coven. You of all people should know what that means.”

Covens were sacred in vampire society, members regarded as deeply as family, and though they rarely dissolved, it happened from time to time. But afterwards, they were still known to return to their original coven because the deep bonds were unbreakable. 

But Tetsuya, for all his strength, was only mortal. 

“Then why are you petting me?” he bit back, and Daiki’s hand immediately dropped to the sofa cushions. “Why did Akashi-san drag me back to this cage and keep me here with commands he knows I can’t refute?”

“Despite whatever misconceptions you may hold about your time with Teikou—” Shintarou walked about the couch, resituating his glasses again before spinning the basketball upon the tip of his forefinger. “—we protected you from a world that wanted to destroy you.”

“Is that why Midorima-san attacked the only mortal friend I had? To protect me?” Tetsuya looked to Daiki. “Is that why Aomine-san ordered me to watch as he took apart Haizaki-kun? Is that why Murasakibara-san stopped cooking for me? Is that why Kise-san told me he wished I’d been found by the werewolves?” Tetsuya stared directly at Seijuro, his face impassive though his cheeks burned. “Is that why Akashi-san never returned after he tried to drink my blood?”

A stunned silence remained for some time before Tetsuya stood, his hands now free. The family room reminded unchanged after all these years with a TV over the fireplace mantle, a few comfy couches and recliners, but everyone crowded around the large, L-shaped sofa where Daiki and Ryouta sat.

In front of it, Tetsuya stared up at Seijuro, meeting those viciously clear eyes, and though apprehension seized his heart, he refused to look away now. 

“It was not I who abandoned Teikou. It was Teikou who abandoned me.”

He started toward the door, even as Daiki seethed, “Where are you going? Back to Seirin and your place as their Phantom Slayer? Do you hate us so much that you have to destroy our kind?”

“It is believed that the Pure’s enhanced reflexes allowed them to become the first vampire slayers but no.” Tetsuya stopped in the doorway and turned halfway around, though he failed to meet Daiki’s bitter gaze. “I’m going to Maji Burger for a vanilla milkshake.”

“You may run back to Seirin while you can, Tetsuya,” Seijuro spoke deliberately, measured, and Tetsuya waited, knowing Seijuro was setting up his pieces for checkmate. “But they will not able to protect you.”

“They do not need to. We protect each other.”

“Was that what Kagami Taiga was doing when he carved out Reo’s heart?”

Tetsuya blinked, then glanced away. He should have known it would come to this. “Yes. I tripped and got a bloodied nose. Mibuchi-san and Nebuya-san sensed it, and Mibuchi-san was faster. He almost bit me, so Taiga made sure he wouldn’t be tempted again. Nebuya-san ran after he saw what Taiga-kun did.”

“Which is why today, I will grant Taiga mercy, but I will not forgive Seirin for their deception.”

“I will not let you harm them.”

“There is only one way you can ensure that, Tetsuya.”

Tetsuya heard the unspoken, “Check.”

“Why?” he demanded, hands shaking in tight fists. Taiga’s calmness no longer soothed him, his brother’s own fear fueling his own, now that Taiga felt his utter despair. “Why are you doing this? Because you want my blood for yourself? You want to bring Teikou back to its former glory as the most feared coven in Tokyo?”

Seijuro kept his composure, though Tetsuya saw the tension about his tightened lips and narrowed eyes. He walked forward, and Tetsuya became lost in those dual-colored eyes, tumbling backwards. He wasn’t sure what happened until his butt hit the ground. 

Seijuro loomed over him, expression closed off as he stopped just before Tetsuya’s socked feet. “In this world, winning is everything; winners are validated and losers are denied. Until you, I’d lost nothing in my life, and I won’t ever again. There is no escaping, Tetsuya. You are mine and a member of the Teikou Coven.”

As he started out of the room, Tetsuya couldn’t help but fight to his feet. “You won’t harm them. Seirin. If I stay, you’ll leave them alone.”

Seijuro bowed his head, an emperor granting a subject’s request. “Consider them under the protection of Rakuzan.”

“Including Taiga-kun.”

The hesitation was tangible, despite the outward calm demeanor, but Seijuro eventually nodded again. “No harm will come to him.”

Tetsuya bit his bottom lip, and as he felt Taiga’s desperation wash over him, as he tasted bile in the back of his throat and hot tears burned his cheeks, Tetsuya bowed. 

“Thank you, Akashi-sama.”

_To Be Continued…_


	3. Clan-destine Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashbacks begin; Shintarou is tsundere; the Iwatobi Clan makes a cameo; and Seijuro doesn't like to share.

_Year Zero—Teikou_

Daiki liked to feed from the players on the street court not far from Teikou’s den. The abundance of oxygen in the blood coupled by the sweet sweat created a unique taste that Daiki found quite delectable, so he always played a few rounds of pick-up ball if the moon allowed. When the game finished, he would accept the invitation for a round of drinks from the local college kids and feed on the one who went to the bathroom last. Random but then he would make some excuse—“The poor bastard just passed out”—and help his victim home. 

Such a pattern developed until one night, the college kids were absent from the court, and when Daiki entered the asphalt kingdom, a bewildering sensation of cool electricity sizzled upon his skin. It reminded him of the natural warning his body gave every time he encountered another vampire, but it was faint, almost soothing in its presence. Instead of putting him on alert, the feeling lured him toward the far end of the basketball court where two young boys played. 

They were no older than ten, imitating basketball moves they’d seen on TV—terribly. The orange-headed boy wasn’t all bad, able to dribble and shoot with some semblance of the traditional form. The blue-haired kid was atrocious. He hardly dribbled the ball twice before the orange-haired boy stole it and headed for a lay-up, which he missed but nailed the correct leg and arm movements. 

“Again, Ogiwara-kun,” the blue-haired boy cheered, his smile so precious and elated. Didn’t he know he’d just screwed up? “Show me again.”

“Okay, Kuroko. Like this.” He came to stand next to Tetsuya, setting up in a triple-threat position before faking. Two steps and up—he still missed, but the ball bounced off the rim this time. 

“Hey!” Daiki called before he realized he was talking. “You’re jumping too soon. Don’t jump until you hit the second hash mark.”

The orange-haired kid—Ogiwara—swung about, eyes narrowed and apprehensive before a large, overjoyed smile enveloped his face. “You play basketball?”

Why did the kid’s smile look like it was going to crack his face?

Daiki blinked then again, caught off guard by the blue-haired boy who now stood less than a foot away, staring up at him with large eyes that seemed to take up half his face.

“Oi!” Daiki jumped back a few feet to give himself some space. “When did you—how did you—”

“Can you show us how to play…?” The boy’s words trailed off with uncertainty, expectantly. 

Daiki was sure he’d lost his heart somewhere along the way, but for a moment, he thought he remembered what it felt to feel like to have one when something in his chest tightened. “Daiki.”

The boy’s eyes seemed to grow even more, and a subdued smile brightened his face, though Daiki suspected he was actually ecstatic. He bowed swiftly. “Can you show us, Daiki-san?”

He remained that way, even after Ogiwara hurried to stand next to him and bow as well. “Please show us, Daiki-san!”

Well, he couldn’t just say no, could he? But it probably wasn’t in the best interest of these two, especially since they weren’t vampires and didn’t even reach Daiki’s chest. The Dark Claws were getting more menacing by the day with their vicious attacks on Teikou and their allies, let alone their assaults on unsuspecting mortals. College students were idiots by nature, and if they fell prey to the Dark Claws, it would be their own fault. But Daiki refused to put two defenseless children in the middle of the hostilities. 

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, isn’t it past your bedtimes? It’s eight o’clock at night. And where are your parents—”

A tiny tug on the edge of his sweatshirt drew his eyes back down to the tiny blue-haired boy, and this close, Daiki felt the cool crackle upon his skin again. A charged squall brewed between them like an oncoming storm, powerful and untamed, and Daiki found himself held captive in those ethereal, excited eyes that seemed to glow with the moon’s own light. It kept his feet firmly planted on the court as the alluring smell of sweet vanilla mixed with a tantalizing warmth of the boy’s blood. It fueled thirst. Daiki had never felt a hunger for someone as vicious as the one he felt for this boy. 

In a final act of desperation, Daiki tore his eyes away from the boy’s and stumbled backwards. He might feed on people for sustenance and power, but he wouldn’t bite a ten-year-old kid, no matter how much his instincts begged him to. 

And if he felt like this, he couldn’t imagine what the Dark Claws or even the werewolves would do to the kid. No, he didn’t _want_ to imagine it, but why? What was it about this boy? Just who—or _what_ —was he? 

Daiki wouldn’t get any answers by running away, and if he did, he’d definitely be leaving the kid open to those merciless bastards. 

“All right, you two.” He dropped the hand from the back of his neck and ruffled the children’s hair as he passed between them. “You get ten minutes, and then I’m walking you home.”

They stayed until after nine, the boys rambunctious and adorable—Daiki would admit to himself—as he showed them move after move, actually planted their feet square to the basket and showed them how to shoot. 

Ogiwara Shigehiro—or “Shige,” as Daiki called him—caught on quickly. He was still too small to reach the basketball with most of his shots, but he had a raw talent and pure enthusiasm that would take him far. Daiki swelled with pride when Shige sunk his first lay-up with perfect form. 

Kuroko Tetsuya—“Tetsu,” who was younger than Shige by almost six months—sucked, and Daiki doubted he could blame it on the boy’s age. Tetsu was shorter, scrawny, and pale like a ghost, so Daiki doubted Tetsu had the talent to produce the skill needed to play. He winced as the boy lost the ball time and time again, and Tetsu’s shots actually got worse, if that was even possible. But he never lacked the soft smile upon his precious face, and his eyes glowed every time Daiki ruffled his hair and urged him to try again. 

When even he grew tired, Daiki walked the boys home with a hand upon each’s head, so he wouldn’t lose them in the crowds of Asakusa. Shige enjoyed pointing out the different places he and his family frequented while Tetsu remained silent, hugging the basketball under his under arm like it was his treasured teddy bear. Worn and faded, it seemed to have special meaning to Tetsu, a shield against the darkness, a friend perhaps when he didn’t have Shige. 

A part of Daiki ached at the thought, and he pushed it away as they came to Shige’s place. The alley was dark and unnerving, putting even Daiki on alert, but Shige seemed relaxed in this element. Despite his orange hair, the boy could have easily slipped through the dark passages and up to his apartment over the rundown yakitori restaurant. Now, however, he tugged on Daiki’s hand and made him promise to play again with them next week. 

Daiki couldn’t say no. 

Shige then dove forward to give Tetsu a crushing hug, grunting when his stomach hit the basketball’s hard surface, and then bounced up the stairs to his home. 

Tetsu lived not too far away in a rundown ryokan that served as a boarding house for transients, it seemed. Even though his blood had long run cold, Daiki still felt a shiver run up his spine. 

“You live here?” Daiki squeezed the boy’s hand tighter, not realizing how hard until Tetsu let out a tiny cry. “Sorry! Sorry, Tetsu! But…you can’t live _here._ ”

Tetsu took back his hand, wrapping both his tiny arms about his basketball, and bowed deeply. “Thank you so much for showing me your basketball, Daiki-san.” 

He waited to stand straight as if he wanted more of Daiki’s touch, more of his attention, and Daiki couldn’t deny that he enjoyed ruffling the long blue locks that crossed in front of the boy’s eyes. So he indulged with a grumbled, “Will you be all right in there, kid?”

The once exciting kid looked crestfallen, almost nervous, before nodding twice. He said nothing, though. 

Daiki let the boy go but not without reaffirming that he’d see the boy next week at the street court, and he did. They met the week after that, and the one after that, and every week, until the bright Shige one time showed up without his tiny shadow. 

*^*^*

Shintarou wasn’t worried. As a type-B drinker and a Cancer, which was completely non-compatible with an A-blood type and an Aquarius like Tetsuya, he was simply curious as to Tetsuya’s condition after five years of separation. 

The boy had undeniably grown. He would reach full maturity in a matter of months, and it showed where his muscles had once been awkward and growing, they were filled out, almost as firm and toned as a vampire’s. His hair remained long, appearing somewhat unkempt, though Shintarou assumed it was some sort of style, and he’d actually grown in height. Tetsuya’s head now reached his shoulder, instead of his stomach, though in some patriarchal way, Shintarou missed the tiny boy who would fall asleep against his side after an early-morning breakfast or who came to him when he’d banged his head or got a bloody nose. 

And their five-year separation had an adverse effect upon Tetsuya’s personality—or at least, that was Shintarou’s opinion. The boy had always been reserved, so he could hide in the shadows, safe from the vampires who wished to harm him—and perhaps, safe even from the Teikou Coven who _had_ harmed him. 

But now he wasn’t living in the shadows. He’d all but been consumed by them, barricading himself inside his chambers and refusing to answer, refusing to come out even when Atsushi placed a tray in front of his door religiously every evening, midnight, and dawn. At some time, Tetsuya opened the door, perhaps when Daiki or Ryouta took their bathroom breaks, but most of the food disappeared. Shintarou suspected Tetsuya actually consumed only the milkshake and part of the meals while Ryouta or Daiki finished the rest. 

He couldn’t help but feel some guilt for Tetsuya’s disposition. After all, he was more than three hundred years old, the second oldest in the Teikou Coven. Surely, he’d done far worse than spill the blood of an innocent, but he couldn’t banish the memories from replaying in his mind. Those bright orange eyes, wide and trembling, pleaded silently with him to stop, even as his claws dug into his chest and arms, freeing Testuya but leaving an open wound between them. 

Tetsuya’s terrified shrill echoed in Shintarou’s mind many nights, and he looked down at his taped fingers. Even though the bandages were white, he could see the crimson that had soaked them that night. 

A desperate part of him wanted to curse Seijuro for forcing them back here, to Teikou Tower—oh, wonderful. Now he was calling it that, too—but he would have given up almost anything in this world to see the light in Tetsuya’s eyes again. For that, he would be eternally grateful. 

So he ignored Daiki’s sputtered protest and opened the door to Tetsuya’s room. He expected to be met with a blade to the throat as the Phantom Slayer of Seirin was rumored to be bloodier than all the members of Seirin combined—but only a soft snore greeted him. Apparently, Tetsuya maintained his nighttime schedule, for it was three P.M., or the equivalent of three A.M. for vampires and slayers, and Tetsuya slept sounded, dressed in a tank top with the covers pulled up to his chest. His bedhead remained ever epic, the strands spread about his head like a halo, but Tetsuya, despite his angelic presence, was certainly demon-spawned. Every Pure was. 

Either a subconscious part of Tetsuya still trusted him and Teikou, or Seirin hadn’t taught Tetsuya to survive in a slayer’s world. Considering every vampire in Tokyo had heard of Seirin and Kagami Taiga—he’d heard of Kagami’s shadow from Takao a few times—Shintarou knew the former to be true. 

But Tetsuya seemed so lonely in his room without the comfort of Teikou or Seirin. He’d even heard of the large wolf that sometimes accompanied Kagami and his mysterious shadow on slayings, and now, Tetsuya had no one, not even him. 

So Shintarou sneaked out of the room, only to sneak back in, carrying the lucky basketball Kazunari had helped him procure a week earlier. He tucked it under Tetsuya’s arm, since he remembered the boy clinging to his worn-out basketball as a child, and perhaps a ghost of smile found his lips when Tetsuya’s arms wrapped around it. His eyes briefly fluttered open, finding Shintarou who calmed him with a cool swipe of his forehead. 

With a low hum, Tetsuya once more succumbed to sleep. Shintarou was about to leave, uplifted and oddly content, when Tetsuya rolled over, revealing his opposite arm. 

There, on the shoulder, was a tattoo of an unusual eight-pointed star, made out of…tiger strips? Hm. It reminded Shintarou of The Star Tarot card. He preferred to use Oha Asa to learn his fate, but if Tetsuya chose to align his with the European method of—wait. 

Shintarou lifted his glasses with his taped hand and bent down to get a closer look at the scarring without any obstructions. If he wasn’t a vampire, his blood would have run cold. 

That wasn’t a tattoo on Tetsuya’s shoulder. It looked more like an ink rubbing, but Shintarou knew it wasn’t that innocent. Adorning Tetsuya’s shoulder was a blood seal. 

*^*^*

Traveling to Tottori would have been pushing it with just over twelve hours of sun, so Tetsuya was grateful that the Iwatobi Slayers were willing to come to Tokyo. Even getting a message to them was dangerous, but Daiki slept like the dead, aptly. So swiping his phone and sending out a text to Haru had been relatively easy. 

And he had no other choice but to contact Iwatobi. Speaking with anyone from Shutoku, Touou, and Kaijo was off-limits. He had been tempted to send a message through Kasamatsu. The vampire was straightforward and trustworthy, but there was no guarantee he wouldn’t tell Ryouta. Kazunari put him in this position, so Tetsuya couldn’t reach out to him, and the apologetic mushroom on Touou wouldn’t keep his messages secret. Tatsuya had chosen his life with Yosen and Atsushi over his slayer roots, so he was off-limits. And there was no way he could contact Seirin. Seijuro said Seirin was now under Rakuzan’s protection. What exactly that meant, Tetsuya feared, but for right now, he had to ease the desperation that ate Kagami constantly. 

They shared certain memories subconsciously through their bond and only during dreams, so while Kagami felt his depression and probably saw a few images of the interior of Tetsuya’s chambers, they gave him no indication of where Tetsuya was located. It allowed Tetsuya to sleep during the day. If Kagami knew where he was, Tetsuya held no doubts that his brother would come for him, and despite all Kagami’s strength, it wouldn’t be enough to challenge the combined power of the Teikou Coven. 

But the bond might eventually reveal his location, especially after his venture outside today, and he could only hope Makoto and Iwatobi would help to defuse Kagami’s rage. He snorted at the simple thought. As if. 

Tetsuya sighed. He was exhausted navigating the busy streets of Tokyo, but the middle of the day was the only time he could escape as all the Teikou members slept. He reminded him too much of his time before Teikou when he used to sleep at Shige’s apartment during the day, but he banished the painful memories from his mind before settling into a back booth in a ramen place in Ameyoko that served awesome milkshakes. The waitress missed him a few times, and when he asked the girl for a drink, she practically screamed bloody murder. But she quickly apologized and shuffled to get his order. 

“Tetsu-chan!”

Tetsuya allowed a fond, soft smile to cross his face. Despite the bloodbath slayers waded in daily, Nagisa hadn’t let it drown him and retained his animated disposition the entire time he’d known the boy. 

Nagisa practically assaulted him with a crushing embrace the moment he crashed into the booth, forcing Makoto and Haru to slip into the opposite side. Rei dragged a chair from another table, completing the circle of slayers.

“Tetsu-chan! You’re okay!” Nagisa beamed. “Riko-chan was all worried about you!”

“Nagisa-kun…” he managed, even though he could barely breathe. He was a Pure, the son of a vampire and stronger than normal slayers, so how Nagisa managed to crush him boggled his mind. Then again, Nagisa managed a lot of things, and getting Tetsuya to call him by his first name was just one of them. 

“Nagisa, why don’t you let Tetsuya breathe,” Makoto said with kind reproach. “It’ll be counterproductive if Tetsu dies before he can tell us why he called us.”

“Sorry, Tetsu-chan. I was just happy to see you’re all right!” 

Tetsuya sucked in a huge gasp when Nagisa finally released him, and he leaned back in the booth, shoulders slumping with each breath. “Thank you, Tachibana-san.”

The waitress returned to take their food order and seemed relieved that he’d been joined by more normal appearing people. Tetsuya mused how wrong she was. Surrounding him was the second deadliest slayer clan in all of Japan, and though some of them were barely adults, they’d managed so much against dark vampires, the Fae, and werewolves. All of them—even his teammates on Seirin—were young by slayer standards, but there wasn’t many clans left after the war. 

A meaningless string of battles all to find him. All to destroy the only known Pure. 

A wave of warmth overwhelmed him—Taiga, making his presence and appreciation of Tetsuya known, pulling him back from the dark path he’d almost embarked upon. Tetsuya hid his smile of gratitude behind a sip of his shake. 

“You disappeared,” Haru began without preamble, but Tetsuya saw the concern in his eyes. They had an unspoken bond as well, and Tetsuya wondered vaguely if Haru had a vampire in his family line somewhere. “That is not one of your abilities.”

He shook his head. He could appear invisible but actually wasn’t. “No. Taiga-kun killed Mibuchi Reo to save me from being bitten. Rakuzan took offense.”

“But I’ve heard the mark upon Kagami has been lifted,” Makoto added, concern tainting his tone. “Rin informed me that Seirin is under Rakuzan’s protection now. He even said—” His volume dropped as he leaned closer, as if to share a secret among allies. “He said Akashi has departed for the coven for the time being and has given full authority to Mayuzumi.”

Rei pushed up his glasses, reminding Tetsuya very much of Shintarou when he sought to make a point. “The rumors cannot be true. The world wouldn’t be filled with beauty if they were.”

Tetsuya blinked. The rest of the Iwatobi blinked. As one, they looked at the bug crawling across the grungy table, and yet, not one of them smashed it. 

“Okay, maybe not here, specifically.”

Makoto gifted the table with a gentle smile. “You would make a good Fae, Rei.”

Of course he would. The Fae looked to beautify the world, but they also looked to rid it of anything they deemed ugly and unworthy, mainly vampires, werewolves, and mortals in general. 

The Pure, ironically, were not on the list, his eyes supposedly looking like the ocean just after dawn. He looked away, remembering the chaos and war, the death and carnage, that was anything but beautiful, and Tetsuya was grateful Rei wasn’t a slayer during it.

“I don’t think they have the same idea of beauty as I do.”

“They like butterflies,” Tetsuya deadpanned. 

Nagisa tugged incessantly on Tetsuya’s sleeve. “Tetsu-chan, don’t give Rei-chan any ideas!”

“And don’t entertain any of yours,” Haru interjected, “like returning to Teikou.”

Tetsuya felt the penetrative glare Haru sent him and heard the concern contrasting his flat voice. By the softened expression on Makoto’s face, he knew the head of Iwatobi heard it as well. Few could read Haru, like few could read Tetsuya, but Tetsuya and Haru could always read each other, and so could their brothers. 

“Akashi-sama did not give me a choice.”

“So it’s true,” Makoto gasped. “The Teikou Coven has reformed.”

Tetsuya glanced away, so he would be spared the absolute horror flashing through each slayer’s eyes when he replied, “Yes.”

Acknowledging where he’s been the last week and in whose company, even if he was alone in his own chambers, frightened him in the very core of his being. He’d spend the last five years running from this very situation, only to find himself back at Teikou Tower as if his time with Seirin, his time as a slayer, never happened. No, it was worse, being trapped in that prison cell dressed up like a condo. The loneliness, the isolation, and the sheer anguish threatened to crumble the very strength he’d gained in Seirin, and if not for Kagami’s constant presence fused with his soul, he would have been crushed the first day. 

“Then…” Haru uncharacteristically hesitated, but he gathered his bearings to continue. “Should we prepare for war?”

“I…I don’t know,” Tetsuya said honestly. “It seems at the moment, Akashi-san just wants to reform Teikou. To what end, I can’t say.”

Makoto looked blindsided and so very frightened, his usually lively face frozen and blanched. “Did you ever think he just might want to protect you again?”

“You are their strength,” Haru added, pragmatic. 

“And their weakness,” Rei tagged on. 

“Tetsu-chan is Teikou’s Lois Lane!”

Tetsuya couldn’t find it in his heart to scowl at Nagisa. 

Rei stabbed his drink’s ice cubes with a straw. “So basically, you want us to talk to your new flame while you hang out with your old one?”

“There is no fire anymore.” He heard the exhaustion in his own voice and hoped the others ignored it. “There is only a cold mistrust between us.”

“Does it come vanilla flavored?” Nagisa giggled. 

If only he could laugh at this ridiculous situation. 

Makoto reached across the table to grab Tetsuya’s forearm. “Tell us what we can do. Tell us how we can help you. You’re more than welcome to come back to Iwatobi with us.”

Heat rushed to Tetsuya’s cheeks, and a soft, grateful smile found his lips. The bonds of clans ran as deeply as those of a coven—resilient, unyielding, and true. For Iwatobi to offer him a place in their clan proved the unbelievable but absolute level of devotion they held for him, and he was ever thankful for these four people in his life. 

Seirin and Iwatobi were closely related slayer clans, both comprised of serious athletes and close friends, but their bonds ran deeper than just an alliance. Even though he felt most comfortable in the presence of his Seirin family—and if he admitted it only to himself, Teikou previously—he enjoyed spending time with the former swimmers, relaxing easily in their presence, but they weren’t his clan or his coven. 

He bowed as deeply as he could in the booth, trying to show just how much he appreciated their unending support. “Thank you very much for your offer, Tachibana-kun, but I cannot run from Teikou or abandon Seirin, especially Taiga-kun. But—” He wet his lips, wanting dearly to contact his family himself. “—can you relay a message for me?”

Makoto nodded, eyes widening when he heard the words, and before the entire coven could ask the same question, Tetsuya added, “It’s the only way to stop another war before it begins.”

Nagisa dug into his ramen the moment the waitress slid it in front of him, mumbling through his bites, “But why? Why does Teikou even want you?”

“Nagisa!” Rei chastised, but Nagisa blinked at him, chopsticks shoving another spin of noodles into his mouth. 

“What?”

Tetsuya swallowed and patted his lips. “Akashi-sama claims victory in all areas of his life. He won every battle he ever fought. Rakuzan’s loss of a coven member signals failure for Akashi, which he will not tolerate. I believe the recreation of the Teikou Coven symbolizes his return to victory.”

“Victory, as in reclaiming you, the first thing he lost,” Haru clarified. He sprinkled some of his water onto his hair. 

Tetsuya shrugged awkwardly. He didn’t like the comparison, no matter how true it was. 

“I’ll meet with Hyuga tonight,” Makoto replied with an easy but hesitant smile, “but will you be all right?”

“I’ll be fine,” Tetsuya replied, proud of his steady voice, despite the fear alive in his gut. 

He was sure by the end of Seijuro’s wrath, he’d be anything but. 

*^*^*

Iwatobi refused to let him leave for some time, demanding he enjoy a third milkshake to make sure he kept his strength up, and once they finally did break, Tetsuya saw Haru following him, attempting to see where the Teikou Coven called home. Haru was one of the few slayers who could always see him, and even with the electric crackle—Daiki called it once—that singled his arrival, many vampires wouldn’t be aware of his presence until he wanted them to, generally accompanied with a stab wound to the chest. 

Though Seirin knew of Teikou Tower’s location, Tetsuya didn’t want Iwatobi deciding to risk a rescue mission by themselves, right into the den of Japan’s most powerful coven, so it took almost an hour and a half before Tetsuya was positive he’d lost Haru. The moon already began its ascent by the time he opened the window to his room and climbed inside, and an annoying prickling upon the back of his neck alerted him of another’s presence—a vampire’s presence. Tetsuya jerked at the eerily serene, heterochromatic eyes that glowed in the darkness of his chambers, positioned directly in front of him on his bed. 

“You should know better than to disobey me, Tetsuya.”

Tetsuya’s mouth went dry. A dribble of sweat slid down the side of this cheek. From exertion or from fear, he wasn’t sure. “Akashi-sama. I returned to Teikou as you requested. I wasn’t aware that it was a prison sentence.”

He forced his body to work, to close the window behind him and then untie his sneakers with precise movements, even though he could feel those condemning eyes watching his every move with keen perception. 

“Why do you resist this so?” Seijuro’s voice sounded tolerant, as if he forced himself to listen rather than unleash the thinly veiled menace. 

Tetsuya left on his socks and then fidgeted with the sweat band upon his right wrist. “Whatever Teikou was, it isn’t anymore. The Seirin Slayers are my family and with whom I belong. You will achieve nothing by keeping me here.”

“And what do you think I hope to achieve?”

Tetsuya’s eyes rose to meet the ones that cut right into his soul, and though he knew differently, he swore he saw right into Seijuro’s. “Reclamation. You lost me five years ago, and you lost Mibuchi-san recently. And you will do anything not to lose again.”

The intense scrutiny was excruciating, and Tetsuya understood why so many people squirmed when _he_ stared at them for long periods of time. Seijuro took his time, analyzing every part of Tetsuya, from his firm stance to his faded jeans, but Tetsuya endured the appraisal. He had nothing to hide, truly. He went to speak with friends, nothing more. He didn’t conspire against Teikou. He wasn’t looking to leave or escape. In fact, despite everything, he was where he needed to be, even if it wasn’t where he wanted to be, for now. 

Seijuro seemed to let out an infinitesimal sigh, so short that Tetsuya wondered if he’d even imagined it, before picking up the book and phone on the bed next to his knee. He seemed to have been waiting comfortably, lounging in a simple long-sleeved T-shirt, jeans, and socks, and Tetsuya vaguely wondered how long Seijuro been there. Minutes? Hours? But before Tetsuya could ask, Seijuro locked eyes with him. The simple action stole the breath from Tetsuya’s lungs, and he cursed himself for his utter stupidity, for his weakness of trusting Akashi Seijuro. 

“You are not to leave the tower again. Do you understand?”

The unbreakable command in Seijuro’s voice branded the order into the very fiber of Tetsuya’s being, and his eyes and fists trembled as he muttered through his gritted teeth, “Yes, Akashi-sama.”

“Do not call me that.”

Tetsuya heard the controlled rage in that one sentence, but it was no match for Taiga’s own percolating within Tetsuya, battling the distress Tetsuya couldn’t contain. Unbeknownst to Taiga, he fueled Tetsuya’s next words, despite Tetsuya’s natural obedience to a vampire, “ ‘Sama’ is the appropriate honorific to our relationship. It would be rude to call you anything but.”

Tetsuya watched the orange eye glow venomously, hatefully, until it faded into a simple blood red. “Is that how you see me?”

“That is what you are.”

Seijuro remained pensively silent until he nodded once. “I do not wish to be your keeper, but your safety can be compromised easily. I will not have another vampire feed upon you.”

“Yes. You do not like to share.”

Seijuro’s eyes narrowed. “Do you believe I wish to feed upon you?”

“I believe you _wished_ to feed upon me, and Akashi-s-s—“ Tetsuya’s eyes shut as he loathed his pathetic existence. “—san is not one to give up until he gets what he desires.”

That drew a faint laugh from Seijuro as he stood. “It is not your blood I desire, Tetsuya. Not now. I did once, yes, but that was not the reason I accepted you in Teikou when Daiki brought you here. It is not the reason I forced you to return here, though I will not deny that you still tempt me with your sweet, intoxicating scent.” 

He approached Tetsuya, stepping into the slayer’s personal space and forcing Tetsuya’s back to press against the window’s glass. Seijuro’s cool breath brushed Tetsuya’s exposed neck when he ducked his head to whisper. 

“And while I may not want to feed upon you, you are right. You are _mine,_ Tetsuya, and I do not share.” 

A cold, slick tongue pressed against the fluttering vein in Tetsuya’s throat and glided up the pale column, igniting a spark of arousal deep in Tetsuya’s belly. He writhed, but Seijuro held him still by the throat, by the tongue, sliding across his quickened pulse which throbbed in unison with other parts of Tetsuya’s body. Seijuro’s rich and alluring scent engulfed him in a haze of lust, re-marking him both physically and on a visceral level, and Tetsuya craved more of the coven’s leader touch, so much so that his body surrendered subconsciously, curling about Seijuro’s as if to eliminate the space between them. 

Seijuro retreated to the door then, leaving a trembling Tetsuya in his wake, a wicked but tempered smile upon his beautiful face. “You may spend the rest of your life in this room, if you so desire. Atsushi seems to content to feed you again, and Daiki and Ryouta seem content to keep silent vigil outside your door. Shintarou even checked on you, but it would do you well to interact with them, get to know them again. You will be surprised how much they have changed in the last five years and might even enjoy your time among them once more.”

“And a meteor might slam into Tokyo, making his whole conversation pointless.”

Seijuro froze, his claws resting upon the handle, and Tetsuya kept his back pressed against the window, waiting for an attack that didn’t come. 

“Do not fear, Tetsuya. I would simply bite you and make you into a vampire, thus allowing you to survive the apocalyptic aftermath.”

That seemed like an even more cruel option. “I’d kill myself before I became one of you or allowed you to—”

“And yet here you are, a mortal a member of a coven, a Pure—the very spawn of a vampire—embracing the heritage of his misery.”

“Not by choice.”

“But you do it nonetheless and without my command. It is by your own will, and it is by your own will that you embrace Teikou again or live in the agony of isolation.” He opened the door but glanced over his shoulder, his eyes two colors once more. “Himuro Tatsuya of the Yosen Coven has requested my presence in Akita. The werewolves have been rather active, and he needs help investigating the cause. I have invited someone to the condo to entertain you, so I expect your cooperation in this manner.”

“I am not a child,” Tetsuya replied, calm but bitter with his and Kagami’s combined anger. “I do not need a babysitter.”

“You are nineteen, Tetsuya, not even an adult in the government’s eyes, and compared to my age, you’re practically an infant.” He paused, as if to dampen his reprimand. “If I hear from Shintarou that you have behaved, I will bring you a present when I return next week.”

Seijuro was no longer listening to him, and Tetsuya mentally surrendered. He might as well make the best of this. “Unless it’s Vanilla Ice Cream Kit Kats, please don’t trouble yourself.”

It was almost non-existent, but Tetsuya saw the soft smile upon Seijuro’s lips. It instantly soothed his worried nerves. “I will speak to Atsushi and see where I may procure them.”

Tetsuya bowed as Seijuro took his leave, and then released a long sigh. His hand dropped to the air at his hip, and for not-the-first-time since returning to Teikou, he missed Nigou. He missed Taiga and Kiyoshi and Hyuga and Riko and Izuki and all of Seirin, and the startling ember of warmth from Seijuro only made it that much worse. 

_To Be Continued…_


	4. Brotherly Love

_“What the fuck do you mean, he wants to stay there?” Taiga all but roared at Makoto, and Tetsuya would have winced if he were awake._

_They were inside Taiga’s father apartment, an upscale pad that Taiga only brought Tetsuya after the toughest battles they fought—and once when he wanted Tetsuya to meet his father. It was usually empty, unless Taiga’s father was visiting from America, and surrounded by mortal neighbors, it was a safe haven from the turbulent world in which they lived._

_Makoto did the best he could, his usually bright tone and unending smile missing from his gentle face. “Tetsuya didn’t tell us the specifics, but he said that this would help to draw out the vampire he and Taiga were hunting when Mibuchi Reo attacked them.”_

_“B-But—that’s insane!” Taiga growled. “He shouldn’t put himself in danger like—”_

_“Yes, it’s a completely different situation from…say, accepting a blood mark upon your name to protect your brother,” Kiyoshi interrupted, his large hand palming Taiga’s head with two quick slaps._

_A serious frown tugged on the edge of Makoto’s lips, though his hard countenance softened at the obvious affection of Seirin’s senpai. “Tetsuya also agreed to stay with Teikou to erase the mark on Kagami-kun’s name and to avoid a war between Seirin and Rakuzan.”_

_Taiga seemed to almost explode again, but Hyuga silenced him with a quick elbow to the gut. “Kagami! Calm down. Getting mad at Tachibana will not get Kuroko back.”_

_“So the mark has been erased?” Riko asked._

_“According to Rin of the Samezuka Coven, it’s as clean as it can be, but marks are paramount in vampire society, more so than we’ve given them credit for.” Makato was somber, pensive, as he focused on Taiga. “It’s a blood ritual that demands payment. If they had a sample of Kagami’s blood, the mark practically created a beacon, forcing any vampire within a certain distance to complete the death contract.”_

_“Which is why Seirin is now under the protection of Rakuzan,” Riko mused._

_Hyuga snorted. “I wouldn’t put much into that promise. Kagami killed one of their members, and now they’re going to protect him?”_

_“Oh, I can’t believe Akashi would want to harm Kuroko,” Kiyoshi interjected, coming up behind Taiga to slap him again._

_Wincing, Taiga swatted his hand away. “You really think Tetsuya told him about me? About_ us _?”_

_It was their trump card, their lifeline, so of course he wouldn’t, just like Taiga wouldn’t even tell his father about their shared bond. He would never divulge such an intimate fact to anyone, especially Teikou. Not even everyone in Seirin knew._

_“And you remember why Kuroko came to Seirin to begin with,” Riko replied, her voice pitched in sorrow. Her stance betrayed her cool front, arms crossed, weight upon her back foot. “Tachibana-kun, was Haru able to follow Kuroko? Are we sure he’s back at the Tower?”_

_“He lost Kuroko on the third train in Shibuya.” Makoto’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, guys. I wish we could be more help.”_

_“We appreciate all you’ve done.” Hyuga rubbed the back of his head and let out a long sigh. “But you might want to start readying yourselves. I can’t imagine this will end well.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_Taiga clutched his fists, a feral look in his eyes. “If they don’t release him, I will go to war with Teikou to get him back.”_

_Hyuga shared a comical smile as he thumbed over his shoulder at Taiga. “That.”_

_A heavy silence greeted him before Kiyoshi tapped his chin. “Hmm…you should eat more garlic, then.”_

_“Shut up!” Taiga scowled. “That doesn’t help. We should just—”_

_“Attacking the strongest coven in all of Japan isn’t the best course of action, Bakagami,” Hyuga huffed, crossing his arms. “And we don’t even know if he’s at the tower. Teikou’s den has been vacant since the coven dissolved five years ago.”_

_Kiyoshi slapped Taiga on the top of the head. “You probably should try to sleep more to find where Kuroko is.”_

_“That’s all I’m doing!”_

_“That doesn’t seem to be what you’re doing now.”_

_Taiga rolled his eyes. “You are unbelievable, Kiyoshi-senpai.”_

_“Why, thank you, Kagami.”_

_“That wasn’t a compliment!”_

Tetsuya awoke that night with a lingering smile upon his face. He missed Taiga and their senpai. Seirin was a different animal than Teikou and most slayer clans. Many clans were formed through family ties and honored bonds, but so many clans were completely wiped out during the last war between the supernatural races. Seirin—and Iwatobi—formed through deep bonds, through friendships and affection. They weren’t obligated to support one another. They wanted to, and Tetsuya thrived in such an environment. 

But there was a basketball on his bed, the same basketball that was Shintarou’s lucky item that first day Seijuro brought him back here. He vaguely remembered a hovering Shintarou, one night, standing over him and gently brushing his hair out of his eyes. He remembered seeing Daiki and Ryouta in front of his door every day, and he waited for them to look away before stealing the milkshake and a half a sandwich. And he’d never missed Atsushi’s culinary masterpieces more when he tried to stomach Riko’s meals during his first few months at Seirin. 

Seijuro waited for him to return yesterday, though he loathed the order to stay in the tower. He couldn’t just forget what Teikou did to him or Ogiwara. He still flinched when he closed his eyes, seeing the blood upon his best friend’s face and chest. Ogiwara’s screams haunted him in dreams like a malicious ghost. 

But Daiki and Ryouta weren’t outside his bedroom like usual and neither was his breakfast. Seijuro must have been trying to lure him out. He could go on a hunger strike, but what would that gain him? A craving for vanilla milkshakes? He already had that. 

He took a shower the night before, so he only brushed his teeth, washed his face, and tamed his wild bedhead before stopping by his bed. The hesitation reminded him too much of his time with the Dark Claws before being brought to Teikou, and yes, he felt like he was ten again and barely holding onto his sanity, but he couldn’t leave the basketball behind. 

So after tucking under his arm, Tetsuya ventured out into the condo. 

The place hadn’t changed that much in five years. Teikou had cleaned up the rooms, replaced the furniture, leveled up on the electronics—and added a freaking half basketball court. 

He blinked at the fitness room doorway. Where the back wall used to be was now a stairway and just below, he could see the start of a half court one level down. It was like Teikou had brought the floor underneath their condo and renovated part of it to include the court and a bigger fitness area, but at the moment, Tetsuya couldn’t have cared less about the how or why. 

He practiced his passing against the walls and stairs, dribbling between his legs and behind his back, working up a good sweat before getting off a shot. 

The ball bounced off the edge of the rim as he acknowledged the electrical crackle against the back of his neck. 

“You still can’t shoot to save your life, can you…” 

Tetsuya froze, tensing on instinct. 

“…Tetsu?”

Daiki sat on the stairs leading to the court, two bottles of water next to him. A challenging grin split his face, and when the ball rolled toward him, he heaved himself up and bounced the ball twice. Passing Tetsuya effortlessly, he scored a dramatic dunk. 

An overwhelming wave of longing swelled inside Tetsuya. His entire life revolved around basketball. He met Ogiwara on a streetball court, Daiki and Taiga, too. He watched Ogiwara’s life ripped from his body on the same court, and he’d just come back from a game when Seijuro jumped him inside his and Taiga’s apartment. 

Before he came to Teikou, he used to look forward to the weekends when he spent hours upon hours with Daiki and Ogiwara. The court had been his haven, his sanctuary, and despite the horrific memories of his youth, he still enjoyed the simple bounce of a ball and the clinks of a chain net. 

Now he glared up at Daiki, which was hard due to the height different, but he did his best as Daiki came forward. Before Daiki reached his personal space, he threw him the ball, and Tetsuya slapped the ball between his hands. 

Daiki nodded toward the basket. “Try again.”

Tetsuya growled under his breath, but out of every member of Teikou, he had no choice but to obey Daiki. And so he did. Once the ball bounced off the side of the net again, he once more leveled Daiki with an infuriated glare, to which the much older vampire blinked. 

“What?”

“I am not here for your amusement.”

“Well, your form’s quite—”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Daiki’s eyes narrowed in bewilderment before they flew wide. “Tetsu, I didn’t mean—I was just urging you to shoot again. I didn’t mean to order you to do anything.”

Tetsuya made sure to keep his eyes lowered, tugging on his wristband. The silence was heavy and uncomfortable, and though it pained him to leave the basketball rolling under the net, he turned toward the stairs when Daiki’s booming voice cut through the heated air. 

“Look, I get that you’re pissed at me.” 

Tetsuya flinched at the growl that was accented by the sharpened teeth. 

“I even know why. I wasn’t exactly the best brother or friend at the end, and—and I used your greatest weakness against you time and time again. But what you did to Teikou—to _me_ —”

“Is what? Unforgivable?” Tetsuya whirled, and he knew his eyes glowed with the moon’s own brightness. “I do not seek or care for Aomine-san’s forgiveness.”

Daiki’s top lip trembled, flashing his jagged teeth. “You made us believe you were dead!”

“Yes.”

Daiki’s muscles constricted as his hands clutched and unclutched in fists, but Tetsuya wasn’t intimidated, not this time. “Do you have any idea how that made me feel?”

“Relieved?”

That bled all fight from Daiki’s body. His face twisted with a sorrowful expression. “What? H-How could you even think that?”

Tetsuya took comfort in the wristband in his hands, making note of the dulled contour that came from wear and age. “After Ogiwara-kun…it hurt Aomine-san to see me. You’d think of him and remember what we had, the three of us. So you ordered me away time and time again, and…I thought…it would be best if I wasn’t here…to remind you anymore. You could move on, and you did. Touou is powerful, formidable with you.”

Daiki took a step closer, a desperate plea burning in his soft eyes and tainting his suddenly broken voice. “Tetsu, you’ve got it all wrong. I just—with Shige—I—I couldn’t tell you—”

“You didn’t have to.” _You blamed me, and I blame myself._

Taiga touched his soul again, tugging him away from the edge of the abyss and the dark, sinking thoughts. He wrapped Tetsuya in warm memories and fond emotions, reassuring him that he wasn’t responsible for the bloodshed caused by others. 

Only he was. 

Tetsuya turned around, so as not to see Daiki’s devastated expression. 

“Teikou ended the war by splitting to fight alongside other covens and not having to worry about protecting me anymore. You found what we’d lost…” _that I broke._ “And…I don’t want you to lose that again…” _because of me._ “I want to go back to Seirin, to Taiga-kun, and—you—you should go back to—”

Large, cold hands cupped his shoulders from behind, hesitating, before they pulled him into an awkward embrace. One of Daiki’s arms wrapped around his chest, the other around his waist, and Tetsuya shivered slightly when Daiki pressed his frigid face into his hair. Still, it was one of the warmest embraces he’d ever received. 

The tears slipped down Tetsuya’s cheeks, and he ducked his head, hoping Daiki wouldn’t realize just how much Tetsuya had missed him these past five years. Tetsuya loved Seirin and being a part of the slayers. He was their equal and was treated as such, but he missed the closeness he’d had with the first family he’d ever known. 

He’d indulged enough. He wouldn’t be a burden to Daiki or to Teikou again. He was nineteen now, almost twenty, no longer a sniveling child craving comfort after years of misery, but when he tried to free himself, Daiki’s strong arms only tightened. 

“Aomine-san…?”

“Shut up, all right? Just…shut up, Tetsu.”

Daiki didn’t sound mad, just very tired and relieved, so Tetsuya surrendered to the unrelenting hold, gripping on to Daiki’s arms with the same fervent strength. He only belated realized the cool liquid sliding down his cheeks wasn’t his tears.

*^*^* 

_Year Zero_

Shige was hysterical, almost inconsolable. His parents didn’t understand. They worked all day and most of the night at the restaurant below their apartment, so they always thought “Tetsu” was an imaginary friend. They didn’t understand why they should be concerned when Tetsuya didn’t show up that morning to sleep. 

The boy was sobbing, clutching Daiki’s hoodie, so Daiki dropped to his knees to look in the boy’s eyes. “Sleep? Shige, I don’t understand…” 

“He—He always comes in the mornings and stays all day,” Shige cried. “He sleeps in my bed because it’s safe there!”

“It’s not safe at his place?” The nervous pit in Daiki’s stomach hardened considerably. “Why isn’t— Doesn’t he go to school with you?”

Shige shook his head back and forth in a frantic manner. “Daiki, please! We have to go. We have to find him!” 

Daiki cursed so loud that Shige recoiled but didn’t pull away. If Tetsu slept all day, that meant he was up all night, and only three types of beings ever stayed up all night—werewolves, slayers, and vampires. 

He reassured Shige that he would find Tetsu, wiped the boy’s tears with his sweat towel, and ruffled his hair. Hitting on his phone, he explained the situation the best he could in a few, brief sentences, and then answered the questions Nijimura Shuuzo, the head of his coven, asked in rapid succession. He agreed to help an innocent child, though voiced his disapproval of Daiki putting an innocent in such a precarious position with the Dark Claws, Fae, and werewolves already out for Teikou blood. One incident could lead to war. 

But if it were for Tetsu, then so be it. Daiki wouldn’t allow the boy to be harmed any more than he already was. 

He patted Shige on the head and urged him to head back home, promising to return with Tetsu. Daiki then weaved through the packed streets of Asakusa before stopping in front of the rundown ryokan, his shoulders heaving, fangs bared for blood, claws extended. 

“Look who I found,” Nijimura greeted, dragging an already bloody and bruised Haizaki under his arm. 

“Why do I have to come and clean up Ahomine’s messes, huh?” Haizaki snarled with a shove to free himself from Nijimura’s hold. “He’s the idiot for getting close to a mortal kid. He should have drank from the kid and—”

Seijuro must have sensed Daiki’s rising anger because he stepped between Daiki and Haizaki, raising a hand to stop Daiki’s impeding attack but turning his eyes to speak directly to Haizaki. “You are not to drink from anyone inside this house, Shougo. We have one mission.”

“Get in and get the kid,” Nijimura ordered. “That’s it, and we do quickly and quietly. Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah. I got a date after this, so let’s do this already.”

Daiki doubted it was with a girl, probably an arcade game. 

They entered through a window on the second level, dropping down from the roof. The room they chose was empty at the moment, though it appeared to be a cell of some sort with a ruffled mattress in the corner, a few clothes thrown in the closet, and various trash thrown about a place. Several binding ties littered the floor by a water pipe that ran from the scratched floor through the chipped ceiling. 

A worn-out basketball laid abandoned in the corner. 

Daiki dashed to the door, but Seijuro snatched his wrist and whirled him around. “Don’t react, Daiki. Think. Charging in carelessly could get him killed.”

Daiki let out a snarled sigh but nodded. He envied Seijuro for being able to keep a level head in all situations, but then again, that was why Nijimura picked Seijuro to be second-in-command, despite his youth. At barely a hundred years, he was the youngest vampire of the Teikou Coven but one of its strongest. 

Seijuro took point, followed by Nijimura and finally Haizaki, and as they crept from shadow to shadow, checking rooms and closets, Daiki realized what the ryokan truly was—a tainted blood den. For those vampires who wanted more than the life force of a human—as if that wasn’t enough—they came to one of these places to feed on a mixture of bloods, usually human blood mixed with a Fae’s or werewolf’s. After all, drinking directly from a Fae or werewolf was deadly for a vampire, but mixing it with a human’s blood and drinking the result, was a high that Daiki guessed some vampires enjoyed. 

But this wasn’t an average blood den. Despite its outward appearance and Tetsu’s cell, it was quite high end with antique fixtures and a fusuma separating each chamber. The rooms acted like accommodations for those enjoying the delicacies they were served, and even the hosts and hostesses wore elegant kimonos. 

Daiki felt Seijuro’s eyes watching him, scrutinizing him, judging him for getting close to a mortal. They were immortal—or close to it—so it was stupid for him to care about someone so fragile, someone who could die before Daiki could even blink. But Seijuro had never met Tetsu, never saw those moonlit blue eyes or that precious smile—

His skin crackled with cool lightning, and Daiki released a deep sigh of relief, even as the rest of his coven members started. 

“What—What was that?” Nijimura asked, alarmed. 

Daiki grinned. “Tetsu.”

And then came a strangled cry. 

“Tetsu!” 

“Daiki, wait!” Seijuro called after him, but Daiki was already moving in the direction of the scream. He kicked open the polished wooden door, and if his blood wasn’t already cold, it would have boiled. 

Ishida Hideki of Fukuda Sougou, one of the Dark Claw covens, licked the dripping blood from his fingers, the crimson accenting his already demonic grin and sickly yellow eyes. 

“Hmm…I thought I put the scent dampener on, but it must not have been enough. Have you come to drink from his seductive veins, too?”

The overpowering scent slammed into the unsuspecting Daiki, and if not for the unbridled rage fueling his deep gasps and pumping the remaining blood through his system, he would have succumbed to the siren’s call. He’d never smelled anything or anyone as tantalizing sweet before, not even the basketball players with their salty skin and liquored veins, but the dark, almost black blood upon Tetsuya’s sickeningly pale skin burned any desire to feed. 

The room was bathed in shadows, a traditional dwelling with tatami flooring, shoji covering the windows, and a fusuma sectioning the room into two, but in the center of the first setion hanged Testu from hemp-tied wrists. His naked body looked pristine save the gashes torn straight through to his veins in his biceps, torso, and thighs. Lifeforce dribbled down his heavy limbs to his feet, which were tied together to a point, allowing the blood to drip into a ceramic basin on the floor. 

It was already half full. A mortal’s body only held up to five pints, and—Tetsu was unmoving. His eyes were closed, the gag about his mouth wet from the screams and pleas that no longer came from his bleached lips. 

Daiki shrieked for him, the high-pitched noise unhinging every being member of the supernatural races within a city block, an absolute, baleful wail of a vampire who mourned the death of a coven member. 

Tetsu jerked, those tired eyes only opening for a brief second to set upon Daiki with pure rapture. Then exhaustion overwhelmed him once more and dragged him from consciousness. 

But Daiki was already moving. He tore into Ishida, claws digging into his stomach and freeing whatever blood had been tasted from his little shadow. No words reached Daiki’s ears, drowned by the rage that fueled his quick attacks. He was callous. He was vicious. He ended Hideki without a thought, driven only by the light he’d seen almost drained completely from Tetsu’s eyes. 

“Haizaki! Stop!” 

Haizaki? Why would he need to be—? Daiki dumped the mangled mass of broken bones and shredded flesh to the ground, only to see Nijimura wrestling Haizaki away from Tetsu’s lifeless form.

“Come on, man! What does it matter? He’s dying anyway. Let me drink before he goes!”

Nijimura pinned him to the ground. “He’s a child. He’s…” 

Even Nijimura’s eyes were cloudy, the alluring scent too thick and tempting to shake, but Seijuro seemed to be doing the best out of the three of them, cutting Tetsu down with his claws, then slicing his feet free. Seijuro’s eyes trembled as he took in the fragile body as if fighting his own inner demons. He must have craved the boy’s blood as well but didn’t want to taste him, and at the same time, knew he had to do so. It was the only way to save Tetsu from bleeding to death. 

Daiki wasn’t in his right mind at the time to assess as much or he would have dove forward to help, but as soon as Seijuro ran his tongue across the first injury, lapping up the excess blood and using his healing saliva to close the wound, Daiki released the breath he didn’t know he had been holding.

Seijuro might have been marking Tetsu, claiming him through salvia and scent, but he also was saving the kid. And for that, Daiki would be forever grateful. 

“Hey, Ishida! What the hell was—FUCK!” Mochizuki Kazuhiro growled from the doorway, claws extended as he processed the sight of four Teikou members, what was left of Ishida at Daiki’s feet, and the unconscious Tetsu in Seijuro’s arms. Behind him, the rest of Fukuda Sougou readied for battle, all their eyes glowing that ill-shaded yellow. 

Just closing one of Tetsu’s wounds began to clear the air, but the injection of the Dark Claws banished the call of Tetsu’s blood completely from Teikou’s minds. 

Haizaki and Nijimura lunged first, tackling two fighters and moving back-to-back to take on the coven while Daiki positioned himself in front of Seijuro and Tetsu to fight any who broke away. 

So Daiki missed as Seijuro cleansed and closed each of Tetsu’s wounds, his eyes slowly glowing a deeper and deeper crimson—and laced with an amber pigment. By the time he finished with the last wound, the entire Fukuda Sougou Coven had been gutted, leaving bleeding and dying masses upon the once immaculate floor. 

“Dai-ki…san?”

Daiki was on his knees in an instant, huddling close to Tetsu with Seijuro positioned protectively on the boy’s opposite side. Thanks to Seijuro’s quick thinking, Tetsu was already on the mend, his eyes bright and wide but so scared and haunted now, the innocence he’d always had seemingly lost to cruel reality. 

But Daiki refused to let it die here, in a hell created by Ishida and Fukuda Sougou. He wouldn’t allow that bastard to take anything else from his precious shadow, and so Daiki smiled, gently, comfortingly at Tetsu’s glistening eyes, and shed his jacket to drape over the boy’s shivering body. 

“Hey, Tetsu. Can you come out and play?” 

Tetsu couldn’t laugh, not yet, but he could offer a tiny smile that was stole Daiki’s heart all over again.

Nijimura entered with a pair of jeans and a T-shirt (and the worn-out basketball), and after Daiki helped Tetsu into them, he placed his jacket about the boy’s shoulders once more. He refused to let Tetsu free, heaving the tiny boy up into his arms, and Tetsu’s slender ones tightened about his neck in a choke-hold. Tetsu’s cheek sought the coldness of Daiki’s, like he took comfort in the familiar sensation. 

Teikou set fire to the ryokan. It was the only way to burn the rest of Tetsu’s blood and hide the evidence of the battle. 

From an alley across the street, they watched the hungry flames devour the house, though Tetsu simply shivered in his arms. Daiki wished he could make Ishida pay all over again. 

Seijuro brushed back Tetsu’s long bangs, but Daiki couldn’t stop the smile that overtook his face when Seijuro flicked the boy’s nose. 

“He’s not a normal mortal.” It was a statement, a fact. “His blood…it tasted different. I even feel…different…”

“Hey! Totally not fair that you’re the only one who got to taste the goods!” Haizaki reached toward the huddled mass in Daiki’s arm, and Daiki kneed him in the groin without losing hold of Tetsuya. 

“Was it tainted blood, Akashi-kun?” Nijimura asked, ignoring Haizaki’s groans. 

Seijuro shook his head. “No. It was…true sweetness, not like the Fae’s fake taste. And powerful, energizing.”

“We’ll call a meeting of Teikou when we get back to the den. After all, we’ll have to start preparing.”

Daiki spoke with his lips against Tetsu’s hair. “What do you mean?”

Nijimura’s eyes narrowed as the ryokan’s burning structure crumbled upon itself. “We’ve been watching Ishida and his coven. Have you ever seen him with the kid before?”

Daiki shook his head. 

“Someone told him to bleed the kid, not feed upon him. That means this kid wasn’t a servant of Fukuda Sougou but most likely one of the other Dark Claw covens.” NIjimura reached over to ruffle Tetsu’s hair, a wary look upon his face. “If anyone of them finds out what happened here tonight, they’ll take it as the declaration of war it was.”

_To Be Continued…_


	5. Werewolves and Milkshakes

_Now_

Seijuro had long lost the thrill of the hunt. The war had that effect on most vampires, who now sought to keep the peace between supernatural races rather than to conquer one another for supremacy. Vampires and werewolves were natural predators. The Fae were natural destroyers, and humans, despite their worth to all three races, were natural prey—constant nutrition for vampires, constant game for werewolves, and constant toys for the Fae. 

No wonder slayers became such violent creatures, able to combat the supernatural races with nothing more than a handful of weapons and honed mortal instincts. 

But the war had proven just how fragile life—even the one belonging to the immortal kind—was. Entire vampire covens were massacred; werewolves packs shredded; and Fae flutters torn, and to those who had survived, the Winter Pact become a symbol of peace, strength, and equality. No longer were vampires to rule the night or the Fae to have their way during the day. The werewolves and humans weren’t just pets and sustenance but beings to be accepted and acknowledged.

But those who spent years hunting or being hunted began to lose their instincts, which had become worn, exasperated, and unwelcomed, but Seijuro persevered with Himuro Tatsuya at his side, stomping through the snow-covered mountains of Akita on the furry heels of the Kirisaki Daichi Pack’s Hara Kazyua. The monolith and formidable werewolf wasn’t fleeing; rather, he was awaiting the perfect opportunity to strike. 

Unfortunately for him, Seijuro and Tatsuya were ready when he finally kicked off a tree, flipped over their heads, and lunged. Seijuro caught him with a long swipe of his sharp claws while Tatsuya kicked him back, slamming him against the tree he used as a springboard. Seijuro watched then as Tatsuya engaged Hara, his swift attacks vicious, fluid, and merciless. He’d thrived with Atsushi and the Yosen Coven since forgoing his bonds to humanity and Seirin, and even more impressive, Tatsuya was known as one the most sympathetic members of Yosen, working closely with the packs to help them further the werewolf agenda. 

So why had Kirisaki Daichi attacked Yosen?

Seijuro approached Tatsuya and Hara only once the Yosen vampire pinned Hara to the tree with two steel blades, throwbacks from Tatsuya’s Seirin days. Werewolves were certainly powerful, but they weren’t immune to pain. Whimpering softly, Hara bared his daggered teeth, though his green eyes remained hidden underneath the curtain of bangs.

“Werewolves aren’t known for their intelligence, but even you aren’t foolish enough to attack one of Japan’s strongest covens,” Seijuro began, his voice as cold as the winter’s breath. 

Hara struggled helplessly for a few, agonizing moments before he surrendered, whining when the daggers cut deeper into his flesh. He reverted back to his human form, whimpering and panting still. “It—It was for survival.”

“Survival?” Tatsuya echoed, dark eyes softening with uncertainly. “Yosen has no reason to attack your pack.”

“But we were attacked,” Hara continued in a low rumble, “by a vampire coven. Since Yosen is the closest to our den, we assumed you were to blame.”

“Was anyone injured?” Seijuro asked. 

Hara hesitated again before Seijuro stepped forward to grab hold of one of the daggers. It was enough of a threat for Hara to spurt, “Some of our pack was bitten and forced into submission by the vampires, led by Shirogane.”

Seijuro tensed. 

“Coupled with your attack on Nigou in Tokyo and the sequestering of the Pure by the reformed Teikou Coven, we believed war to be imminent. Those of us left in Kirisaki Daichi wanted to stop Yosen why we believed we could.”

Seijuro wasn’t a fan of surprises, but he absolutely loathed when the other supernatural races knew more than they should. He twisted the dagger in Hara’s left shoulder, ripping an excruciating shriek from Hara’s lips.

“How do you know about the Pure and the reformed Teikou Coven?” he demanded with a cold rage. 

“Akashi-san!” Tatsuya admonished, but Seijuro didn’t become the leader of the most powerful coven in all of Tokyo by listening to the scolding of “children.” After all, Tatsuya wasn’t even a quarter of his age. 

“Answer the question, Hara,” he ordered, cold rage manifesting in low hiss. 

Hara flirted with unconsciousness, so Seijuro went to grab his shirt when Tatsuya stepped between them. “Nigou is Nigou Tetsuya. He’s Tetsuya’s ‘dog’ and part of the Kirisaki Daichi Pack. You fought him when you took Kuroko back to Teikou.”

Seijuro studied Tatsuya’s ambivalent gaze, which blended fear and anger, but in it, Seijuro found no lies. 

“Tetsuya’s dog…is a werewolf?”

Tatsuya nodded, his shoulders sighing as the tension bled between them. “Yes. When I left Seirin, I also left my post as one of the Pure’s protectors. Taiga is Tetsuya’s dedicated partner, but also surrounding Tetsuya are sworn slayers who would lay down their lives for him.”

“As he had in Teikou.”

Tatsuya’s face twisted with reproach, but he spoke none of it. “I felt…guilty for leaving Seirin when I became a vampire. They would have kept me nonetheless, but I needed to learn how to control my urges and my new heightened abilities. Even with Tetsuya’s help, it would not have been possible, but I still regret having to leave him…” He added softer, “…and having to leave Taiga.”

Seijuro’s blood flamed at the mention of Taiga’s name, but he held his tongue and banished the sudden sadness from his heart. He still couldn’t rid himself of an image of Reo with that soft, indulgent smile he wore. 

“Seirin had needed help when covering up Tetsuya’s disappearance, and we’d used Kirisaki Daichi. So when I came to Yosen, they offered to send one of their newest litter to Tokyo to safeguard Tetsuya. It helped me to feel more confident in Tetsuya’s safety, and it helped to solidify the werewolves’ agreement in the Winter Pact as they now had a stake in Tetsuya’s safekeeping.”

Hara deserved more than the two daggers pinning him to the tree. He deserved to have his eyes gouged out and offered to Seijuro as retribution for the pain and suffering his pack caused Teikou. Instead, he took two deep breaths—and he surprised even himself when his once un-quenchable rage subsided. Ironically, Tetsuya’s weak presence had such a strong effect on Seijuro, on all of Teikou. 

So Seijuro approached him and tore the daggers from his body in one swift motion. That was his idea of mercy. As Hara struggled to breathe, Seijuro loomed, holding the now dripping metal. He lifted his lips to show his sharp teeth and allowed his one yellow and one red eyes to burn a venomous glow. 

“Himuro-kun, does Tetsuya know of Nigou’s true form?”

Tatsuya hesitated but then followed swiftly with, “Not that I am aware of. Tetsuya hasn’t said anything to me.”

“Then know this, Hara. Neither Teikou nor any of its allied covens were part of the attack upon your pack.”

Hara was skeptical, despite his constant winces and ragged heaves. “And you expect me to believe that? Shirogane—”

“—is dead.” Seijuro held no doubts about this fact. “He was beheaded at the end of the war by Rakuzan.”

By Reo. 

“I will prove Teikou’s innocence to you and your pack, but first, I need to speak with Seto,” he announced without pretense. “It is time for Kirisaki Daichi to serve Teikou.”

“Wars don’t start when the fighting begins,” Tatsuya whispered a few minutes later. The wounded Hara limped before them, now reverted back to his full wolf form to heal, and cut a path through the thick, snow-covered woods. “They start with alliances form. Are you sure this is a good idea?” 

“The fighting has already begun as the Kirisaki Daichi Pack has indicated,” Seijuro reminded with the authoritative tone he used with his subjects, “and yes. I am absolute. Therefore, I am right.”

“Really? Is that why you put and then erased a Mark of Death upon Kagami Taiga’s name?”

Seijuro took in Tatsuya’s tense posture, his descended teeth, his constantly extended and retracted claws. “Taiga deserved the mark for his ruthless attack upon Reo and Rakuzan. Retribution was owed.”

“Reo attacked our brother. Doesn’t that make Rakuzan the offending party?”

“Rakuzan does not act without provocation.”

“Because you are absolute? _Really?_ Is that why Tetsuya ran away from Teikou? Is that why you had to literally drag him back? Is that why Reo is gone and my brother was hunted erroneously by your coven? Because you and Rakuzan are so friggin’ absol— _uk!_ ”

The twin daggers crossed just under Tatsuya’s chin, the acute edges brushing against Tatsuya’s cool skin. “Preservation is not your strong suit, is it, Tatsuya?” 

But after a long breath and an inner voice reminding him that Tetsuya valued Tatsuya highly, Seijuro recoiled, allowing Tatsuya to all but collapse and rub his now leaking skin. 

“I will let your transgression slide this time for Atsushi’s sake and because I am aware of your close relationship with Taiga. However, I will remind you that Rakuzan is the strongest coven in all Japan, and I hold no qualms proving that fact.”

“Are you sure?” Tatsuya questioned. “Didn’t you think at one time Teikou was absolute?”

Seijuro wrung Tatsuya’s own blade’s hilt and lifted it again. He could feel the barely contained rage surging through his veins, but it only exuded in his unfathomably cold tone. “Are you sure you want to test me, _Tatsuya?_ ”

“No, Akashi-kun. I do not.” He bowed then, deep and full of reverence for the leader of the strongest clans in Japan. “I just wanted to make you aware that perhaps you are not as…absolute as you believe.” Then he stepped forward, his face inches from Seijuro’s. “And don’t you dare mark my brother for death again.”

Seijuro let the rage win this time, sinking his dagger into Tatsuya’s side and forcing him to his knees, but then he remembered the role Tatsuya played in Tetsuya’s life. He pulled away. “I only allow the ones who serve me to look me in the eyes, Tatsuya.” He took great pleasure in the taller vampire’s shallow breaths and contorted expression. “And know next time, I will not just wound you. I will end you.”

Just like he ended Shirogane. 

*^*^* 

_Year One_

Tetsuya was shivering. He couldn’t help it, lying back upon the cool examination table as a monolithic green-haired vampire leaned over him, running a handheld scanner from the tips of his now bare feet, up his body, and over his head. Tetsuya still wore Daiki’s jacket, so he tugged it tighter about his body, closing the flaps, when the vampire snapped, “Don’t move.”

Tetsuya went completely still, his wide eyes taking in the intense frown upon the vampire’s face, those otherworldly green eyes blinking as if taken off guard by Tetsuya’s own sharp gaze. 

Then a cold hand clasped down upon Tetsuya’s face, ruffling his long bangs. “Don’t have a staring contest with Tetsu, Midorima. You’ll lose.”

Tetsuya let out a tiny sigh. Daiki was there, and despite the sudden knowledge of Daiki’s vampire physiology, Tetsuya relaxed with the cold hand upon his face. It didn’t matter that he now lay in a room full of vampires, the very creatures who bled him since before he could remember. He knew Daiki wouldn’t let them do anything to him. He trusted Daiki, who walked him home every Saturday night, who came for him when he didn’t show up at the court once. 

So he grabbed hold of the hand on his face with both of his, and when he looked up, Daiki appeared uneasy at first before knocking him on the shoulder and urging him to sit up. When he did, Daiki wrapped an arm about his shoulders and tucked Tetsuya against his side.

Tetsuya smiled into the coldness of Daiki’s torso that had somehow become a familiar comfort over the last few months. 

The green-haired vampire—Midorima Shintarou—narrowed his eyes at the scanner read-out as if its report lied to him. When he stomped away to the computer in the corner of the infirmary, Daiki said, “Don’t worry, Tetsu. Midorima is tsundere. He actually thinks you’re adorable.”

“You live in a fantasy world, Aomine,” Shintarou snapped, leaning over the keyboard and typing quickly. 

Akashi Seijuro, Tetsuya now knew as the red-haired vampire, book-ended him with Daiki, and wisped his bangs. Tetsuya thought he saw a glimmer of gold flash through one of his eyes, but the mild yet kind smile upon Seijuro’s gentle face halted any fear before it reached Tetsuya. 

“We must all live in that world, Shintarou, for Daiki is right. He is quite the cute little human.”

“Yes, because that’s how humans like to be addressed,” Nijimura, another vampire, replied with an eye-roll. He stayed near the entrance, arms crossed but giving the ash-haired vampire on the other side of the room dark looks. 

Tetsuya didn’t dare rebuke Seijuro’s statement, however. He’d been called a lot worse than “little human.” 

“I don’t even know why we’re doing this,” the ash-haired vampire snapped. “The kid’s blood smelled so delicious before. Let’s just call him dinner and be done with him.”

Like that. Dinner. Fresh meat. Livestock. To the Dark Claws, he’d been just that. 

“Shougo, leave.” The edge to Seijuro’s voice was ruthless, threatening. 

“Sure, says the guy who got a taste of him. How was it, huh? At least lick and tell—”

“I will not ask you again.”

Despite the undeniable truth in Haizaki’s words, Tetsuya was grateful to Seijuro for licking and closing his wounds. When he’d awoken in that den after being bled, Tetsuya jerked at the tongue upon his arm, fearing another violent attack from Fukuda Sougou, but then Seijuro only gathered Tetsuya into his lap and whispered that he was safe and no longer a prisoner of the Dark Claws.

Seijuro was only the second vampire—after Daiki—to show him any kindness in his entire life, and the red-haired vampire continued to do so, now lacing his fingers with Tetsuya’s smaller ones and offering a reassuring squeeze. 

“Are you feeling better, Tetsuya?”

Seijuro’s crimson eyes looked so much like blood after it dried, bright and almost cheerful, not at all the fearful dark red that usually slid down Tetsuya’s pale skin. So he nodded and allowed that to be his only answer. 

Shintarou tsked. “This…This isn’t possible.”

“Explain,” Nijimura demanded, pushing away from his station. 

Shintarou pushed up his glasses but still leaned over the computer. “His body cannot be producing blood this quickly. It’s not…normal for a human. It’s not even possible, and you said he was bled and lost more than five liters. He should need a blood transfusion. No, he should be dead.” 

A large hand fell upon Tetsuya’s head—Daiki—and the dark scowl upon his usual bright face was more serious than Tetsuya had ever seen it. “Could you be anymore insensitive, Midorima? Come on, man. I’m an idiot, and I know not to be spouting shit like that about Tetsu—while he’s in the freaking room.”

“Though we are in agreement, we are not asking the right questions or directing them to the right people,” Seijuro interjected. Tetsuya once again endured Seijuro’s playful touches, which started with his bangs before brushing along his heated cheeks. “Tetsuya, do you know what you are? Has anyone ever explained it to you?”

Shintarou’s gasp cut through the silence that followed. “Akashi…you cannot be serious.”

Seijuro’s touch was kind, his eyes warm and glowing. His unique but overwhelming scent engulfed Tetsuya, and somehow it comforted instead of appalled him. “It’s the only logical explanation, Shintarou. The Dark Claws used him and bled him to make their members stronger. They sequestered him, and he only could escape when they slept. And they were willing to die to keep his existence a secret.” Seijuro smiled again, his face not reflecting the ominous feeling that dominated the room and the frightening looks shared by the rest of the vampires. “Tetsuya, you are quite a remarkable and thought-extinct creature. Typically, your kind has been called ‘Pure.’ ”

“Little human” was weird but acceptable. “Creature” was an insult, and he told Seijuro that. 

Seijuro laughed. “Yes, I supposed it is. My apologies. But the Pure are not quite human and not quite vampire. You are a mortal with enhanced reflexes and agility but do not possess the full strength of a vampire. In fact, your entire presence is to serve vampires, to offer your uniquely satiating blood to them as their forever loyal servant, and as one of their own children, your blood grants them incredible power.”

The pit in Tetsuya’s stomach only grew, and he flinched away from Seijuro’s touch, seeking the cold comfort of Daiki’s embrace once more. 

Daiki grumbled, “You guys seriously do not know how to talk to kids.” 

“Do not fear me, Tetsuya,” Seijuro commanded, though there was no promise to it, no threat, only a welcome confidence. “You need not fear any of us. You are safe now, here in Teikou. We will protect you against the Dark Claws and the other supernatural races.”

Of course, Tetsuya’s bluntness would not allow him to just accept this. “Why?” his soft voice demanded. 

Seijuro blinked before looking over his head, probably sharing a gaze of wonderment with Daiki before looking at Nijimura and finally Shintarou, every single one of them replying with a nod. 

“Because you are special to Daiki and that makes you special to us.” As if an afterthought, he added, “And I know what it’s like to be consumed by the darkness. I won’t allow you to be as well.”

Tetsuya wasn’t sure why he believed Seijuro. Maybe his blood red eyes shimmered with sincerity. Maybe his soft smile was nothing short of precious and kind. Maybe his cold fingertips reminded Tetsuya of Daiki’s touch, but for the first time in his life, Tetsuya relaxed completely, leaning his head against Daiki’s shoulder but finding Seijuro’s hand again to hold. 

He’d found a home—finally.

The doors to the infirmary opened, and in rushed a vampire with long pink hair and a bubbly smile. “Shougo-kun said you brought home a little human, Dai-chan. Where is—” Her eyes set on Tetsuya, who suddenly tensed and felt very much like prey caught in a metal trap, which slammed shut the moment the vampire girl wrapped her arms about his neck. “He is so adorable! What’s your name? Can we keep you? Nijimura-san, Akashi-kun, may we keep him? Please!”

Seijuro smiled, a look of pure amusement upon his face. “Of course, Satsuki-chan.”

It wouldn’t be for long, though, as Tetsuya found himself unable to breathe, but Daiki saved him again, swatting her away. “Let him go, woman! God, you’re worse than the Dark Claws!”

Tetsuya would disagree—the moment he could breathe again. 

*^*^*

_Now_

“Wakamatsu is a real douche,” Daiki complained, clicking his chopstick together as if to poke an invisible opponent. “He wants to go over fighting techniques and formations and all these types of battle strategies in case another war breaks out. They all rely on me during a battle anyway, so what does it matter? I’ll win any battle against anyone.”

Sitting across from Daiki on the bed, cross-legged, and holding a cup of miso soup in front of his mouth, Tetsuya slurped, “Is that so?”

“Well…yeah. Of course. Always worked before.”

Tetsuya shrugged and slurped again. It was early in the night, about nine P.M., and after taking quick showers following their basketball game—in which Daiki thrashed him yet again—Daiki procured them breakfast. They camped out Tetsuya’s bed like they had time and time again right after Tetsuya had begun living at Teikou, and like then, they weren’t quite comfortable with their new situation yet. But moment by moment they were becoming more familiar, reverting back to how it had been before everything went crazy. 

“What do you mean by that?” Daiki accused, dropping his bowl to his thigh. 

Tetsuya shrugged. “Nothing.”

“It’s never nothing with you.”

“Aomine-san is quite—”

“Oi! Stop with that already, will you?”

A tender smile found Tetsuya’s lips, “ _Daiki_ -san is quite powerful, but…what if one day you come across an opponent you are not able to take on your own? What then?”

“You sound like Wakamatsu now.” Daiki scoffed and jerked a shoulder. “Never’ll happen.”

“All right, but what if your coven member is hurt? Can you protect him and fight at the same time?”

Tetsuya watched Daiki closely, watching his mind work behind those dark but sharp eyes. Daiki eventually dismissed the question with a quick shake of his head, and something alarming settled in the pit of Tetsuya’s stomach. 

“Daiki-san…what about your coven members?” he asked between bites of dried horse mackerel—Oh, would Haru have liked it. “Have you bonded with them yet?”

Daiki shrugged a shoulder and took a handful of rice from Tetsuya’s plate. “What’s the point? They’re not up to my power anyway, so eventually—ow!”

Tetsuya pulled his leg away from Daiki’s. “One day they will need you to protect them. They are your coven now, Daiki-san. I may not be a vampire, but I was a part of Teikou. I know what it means be bonded to a coven, and you should—”

“Do you?” Daiki shot back. “Because I thought you did, but then you left. You severed your own cord, and—and I don’t think you know just how much it—it _hurt_ when you left, Tetsu. Physically hurt. So don’t sit there and lecture me about bonding with Touou when mortals cannot even comprehend what it’s like to lose a member of a coven.” He rubbed the back of his head and muttered, “I don’t envy Akashi. Losing Mibuchi, even if he was a fussy prima donna, must have been tough, and they were—what? Why are you glaring at me like that?”

Even Taiga’s reassuring presence wasn’t enough to stem the bleeding in Tetsuya’s chest. “I resent that you believe mortals—that I—cannot feel affection as deeply as you, but Teikou fell apart. There was only one way to ensure everyone’s survival, and you may never forgive me. But you are alive as is everyone in Teikou. For that, I will never apologize, but…” He glanced away, gathering some of the missing fissures of his heart, and with Taiga’s strength helping to mend his soul, he placed down his chopsticks and pressed his hands to the bed. “I am sorry I hurt you, Daiki-san.”

Excruciating moment after excruciating moment passed, and Tetsuya began to think he might never be whole again when, as if hesitatingly, Daiki’s fingers dipped into his hair and ruffled the locks. “You brats are such a pain in my ass. I swear.”

Tetsuya sat up with a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”

“So you’re the Phantom Slayer of Seirin, huh? Seirin treating you all right? They feed you more than just vanilla milkshakes, right?”

“Yes, Daiki-san.”

“And you’re in one piece? They didn’t bleed you or anything?”

“No, Daiki-san.” 

Daiki eyed him closely with a skeptical gaze. “Touou worked with Seirin, lots of times, actually. How did I never see you? Or feel you? I would have noticed.”

Tetsuya swallowed another bite. “I work with my clan on solo missions, but when we pair up with a coven, I work with Taiga-kun exclusively. He deals with the coven members.”

“Taiga?” Daiki’s shoulders bunched, like he readied to pounce. His nostrils flamed, his teeth showing as he growled, “You worked with Taiga? Wait— _you’re_ Taiga’s little brother?”

“Taiga spoke about me?” As surprised as Daiki appeared, Tetsuya was even more so. Seirin safeguarded him best through rumors and shadows, never directly speaking of him to anyone outside of their clan. Taiga wouldn’t have recklessly spoke of Tetsuya to Daiki, _especially_ Daiki, unless...

Oh. _Oh._ So it wasn’t just carnal relations. Tetsuya knew what Taiga felt for Daiki, but Daiki actually returned his affections? Oh, he would need to have a longer talk with Daiki about this later. 

“Taiga didn’t speak of you by name,” Daiki assured, though his shoulders remained tense, face a bitter scowl, “but he spoke of his little brother and his little brother’s ‘beast.’ I just never realized—oh, me and him are going to have words.”

“It would have put me in more danger if you knew I was alive.”

“Tetsu—”

“Daiki-san, Teikou has reformed, and already, the allied covens and packs are frantic with uncertainty. My disappearance and Seirin’s silence helped to sustain the Winter Pact. Do you really believe the supernatural races would have had peace this long if I hadn’t left Teikou?”

Daiki disagreed but only muttered, “You’re a sneaky little bastard, Tetsu.” 

A quiet, sheepish chuckle. “Sorry.”

“You like the Seirin Clan? That Kagami is a lovable idiot but an idiot just the same. You must be the brains of the operation. I’m not going to lie. That’s a little scary.”

Tetsuya smiled as he accepted Kagami’s confusion at his sudden amusement. “He’s a good friend. My brother. And he reminds me a lot of another idiot I know.” 

“Why you little…”

The conversation lagged as they ate, but then Daiki nudged him in the knee. “You know who’s a pain in the ass? Ryou. Dude apologizes for every little thing. At the bar—you know Touou owns a bar, right?—he’s the cook, and he apologizes every single time someone sends back a plate. People are just assholes sometimes, y’know? I want to hit him and tell him to be more—I don’t know. Confident?

“Susa isn’t such a problem, though he calls me to bounce people now and then when he could do it himself. Imayoshi is just a freakin’ tool, nasty as shit, but cunning. I—I think he tries to do what’s best, even if I don’t always agree with him. But Satsuki chose Touou, and you know her. She’s never wrong about anything. Freakin’ annoying, that one. Screws up orders, too, but people look at her rack and forgive her.”

Tetsuya smiled to himself, a warmth filtering into his chest once more, and he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “How is Momoi-san?” 

Before Daiki could answer, a blaring shriek all but left him deaf. “KUROKOCCHI!”

Then he couldn’t breathe, a vice clamping his throat closed, but he immediately relaxed—or tried to—when the familiar flowery scent wafted past his nose and silky hair brushed against his cheek. After what seemed like an eternity with Daiki growling in the background for Ryouta to release Tetsu and let him breathe, Ryouta finally pulled away, true tears in his eyes, hands still clasping Tetsuya’s cheeks. 

“Kurokocchi! I have missed you so much! I cried and cried and cried when we lost you, and you didn’t have to go to Seirin. You could have come with me! To Kaijo! You would have loved Kaijo!”

Tetsuya wanted to pull away and explain to Ryouta just how much he needed Seirin, to be away from the vampires and their oppressive world, but he could only muster an indulgent smile and clasped his hands over Ryouta’s warm ones. Ryouta had always been warm, feeding before coming to see Tetsuya, and he was practically a battery for Tetsuya to cling to like a teddy bear night after night. 

Tetsuya smiled despite himself. “I missed you, too, Ryouta-kun.”

If at all possible, Ryouta’s eyes even grew wider, brighter with fresh tears, and Tetsuya almost died when Ryouta tackled him, this time lying flat and crying and really attempting to squeeze the life out of him, or so it seemed. 

“TETSU-KUN!” 

Another body slammed into him, choking out what little life was left, and Tetsuya raised a shaking hand toward the now thoroughly amused Daiki. 

“ _Daiki-san…Daiki-san…s-save…me…_ ” 

Daiki heaved a mock-exasperated sigh, as if to say, “You brought this on your own, Tetsu,” but then he poked Ryouta in the side, hard. “We don’t have to worry about the Dark Claws or other races. You two alone are going to be the death of Tetsu. Come on. Let him up for air.”

“Tetsu-kun,” Satsuki mumbled as she sat up, still holding onto his hand. “I—I should have known you were the Phantom Slayer. It’s my job to know everything about the clans, and I—”

“You came very close a number of times, Momoi-san,” Tetsuya assured, and his exhaustion was not exaggerated. “I thought after that one mission out in Yokohama, you had—”

“That was you!” she accused and whacked him on the shoulder. “I told Dai-chan there was no way a normal human could make such a dangerous—”

“So loud,” Atsushi moaned as he entered the room, carrying a tray of clear cups with different color liquids. “You are all so bothersome.” 

Tetsuya accepted the white mixture and took a sniff, then a sip, savoring the explosion of vanilla flavor in his mouth. It wasn’t just a milkshake; it was Atsushi’s concoction, made with vanilla extract, whole milk, and the secret ingredient, vanilla bean ice cream. Everyone on the bed shared in his delight with strawberry, peach, and chocolate milkshakes.

“You say we’re bothersome, and yet you went out of your way to make us all our favorite flavors,” Tetsuya pointed out between sips. 

“Hm…you think too much, Kuro-chin.” He petted Tetsuya’s soft hair before taking a seat on the floor next to the bed. “Drink more. Think less.”

Tetsuya listened, though he eyed the red bean milkshake left alone upon the tray. 

_To Be Continued..._


	6. You’ll Never Look at a Red Bean Milkshake the Same Way Again

_Year One_

The streetball court was deserted just after sundown, and Shige with an energetic and a glowing face came bounding along the fence. Then he froze, eyes and smile growing when he saw Tetsuya for the first time since that Saturday, and he lunged forward, tackling his best friend in a crushing hold. 

It was a touching scene, one Seijuro felt privileged to see, and he silently thanked Daiki for finding such enjoyable humans. As the second-in-command of the Teikou Coven, Seijuro spent many nights dealing solely with the supernatural races and slayer clans, the latter who perhaps were not entirely human themselves anymore. He rarely witnessed such displays of emotion, and something inside of him yearned for such a strong connection. 

Shige sat on the ground, running his mouth a mile a minute and wiping a piece of rice from his face while Tetsuya shifted into a cross-legged position and simply listened, wearing his usual reserved demeanor. But a hidden smile undoubtedly brightened his face at the sight of his animated friend. 

“They’re cute, aren’t they?” Daiki commented, bouncing the ball back and forth between his legs. 

“Yes,” Seijuro admitted. “You have a remarkable talent for collecting small, spirited humans.”

“You need to get out of the den more,” Daiki laughed and tossed the ball to Seijuro, who caught it effortlessly. “Hey, guys! I brought my friend Seijuro along today, and he kills it with ball-handling—oof!”

Shige smacked into Daiki, wrapping his arms about Daiki’s torso and burying his face in Daiki’s chest. “Thank you for saving Tetsu, Daiki,” he muffled, and tears dampened the front of Daiki’s shirt. 

“Hey, now. Stop that.” Daiki rubbed the back of his neck, and Seijuro waited for Daiki to push Shige away. But he didn’t. Instead, he folded his arms on the boy’s shoulders and clutched him close, allowing Shige to cry out all his fears and relief. Daiki comforted him with hushed words and a gentle hand running through his hair.

“Hey, now,” Daiki soothed. “A promise is a promise, right? I promised I’d get Tetsu back, and I did. So it’s all good.” 

Something happened to Daiki. These two human children changed him, made him into a more compassionate and caring vampire, and Seijuro wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing, especially with the impeding war rushing toward them. But in their immortal life, a true emotion other than anger and apathy was hard to feel, and Seijuro felt something warm and alluring ignite in his chest when he met Tetsu and saw Shige and Daiki together. 

He could barely remember being mortal anymore, and those he’d known either died or were killed. The sting still hurt deep in the pit of his heart where he tried to bury it, but maybe…maybe he wanted to hurt again if he could find what Daiki had with Tetsuya and Shige, if he could experience just some of the joy of living again. 

So he moved about Daiki and passed the ball to the awaiting Tetsuya, who caught it between his hands. He blinked at Seijuro, uncertain, but then warmed when Seijuro offered him a kind grin. “Let’s leave these two alone, shall we? We can work on spinning the ball on your finger.”

“You can do that?” Tetsuya asked, those electric blue eyes unnerving in their intensity. 

A lightheaded feeling flittered through Seijuro; a deep throbbing need to feed overcame him. Dropping a hand to Tetsuya’s head, he steadied himself and swallowed hard. Innocent. Gentle. Scared. Delicious. So many thoughts ran through Seijuro’s mind as he fought his carnal hunger, and he struggled to not fist his hand in Tetsuya’s hair and jerk the boy upward until his delicate neck was exposed and begging Seijuro to eat. 

Desperate needs would frequently take a vampire who didn’t feed regularly, but ever since tasting the alluring, sweet flavor of Tetsuya’s blood, Seijuro craved it in the dark recesses of his mind. But he would fight it, and soon a warm hand snatched his cold one and squeezed. 

“Are you okay, Akashi-san?” 

He was. Eventually, the uncontrollable desire subsided, and Seijuro let out a sigh of relief. Taking a moment to regroup, he met Tetsuya’s worried gaze with his own certain one, and he promised himself once more that he would do anything to protect every member of his coven, even the little mortal one. 

Especially the little mortal one who looked at him with nothing less than absolute trust and adorable worship. 

“I’m fine, Kuroko-kun. Thank you for your concern. Now, take the ball like this—perfect.”

Even as he dropped to his knee and helped to position Tetsuya’s tiny fingers in the right places, Seijuro felt the tingling upon the back of his neck, not from Tetsuya who smiled and laughed quietly as they tried time and time again to get the spin right. Seijuro accepted the heavy gaze from Haizaki, who loomed in the darkness, watching his delicious prey with menacing eyes. 

*^*^*

_Now_

After breakfast, each member reluctantly left Tetsuya to his own devices as they went to check in with their covens. So Tetsuya stared at the melting red bean milkshake for a whole two minute before he rolled off his bed. Shintarou had come into his bedroom to check on him, and he hadn’t seen him since that day. Perhaps Shintarou wouldn’t want to see him, but no one could reject one of Atsushi’s milkshakes. 

He followed the path by memory—down the hall, one set of stairs, and onto the main level, across from the kitchen. Of course, the awkward location had caused some issues when Shintarou’s patients—or “victims”—screamed their disapproval of whatever methods the medic used on their injury, especially during a meal, but it was helpful during the long hours after a battle when the coven gathered around their fallen member and worried. 

Shintarou left the door open a crack, so Tetsuya went to knock before he heard, “—but the cold lightning! It’s crackling on my skin. Shin-chan, why didn’t you tell me?”

Tetsuya’s eyes narrowed. _Kazu-kun._

“Tell you what, Takao?”

“That the rumors are true! Tet-chan is here!” 

The milkshake glass slipped through Tetsuya’s fingers, shattering against the marble tiles, and though it gave Kazunari warning, Tetsuya still kicked open the door and lunged. Shintarou’s face shifted from confusion to shock as he turned from the computer in the corner of the room, but Tetsuya barely acknowledged him. His entire focus was set upon Kazunari, sitting on the desk next to Shintarou’s computer, one leg dangling, the other hitched up to his chest. Undeniable glee overtook Kazunari’s face as his eyes found Tetsuya, but it only fueled the intense ache already searing his chest. 

“Tet-chan! You’re here! I didn’t realize that Akashi had—uk!” Kazunari barely ducked the punch, and despite his sharpened reflexes, Tetsuya was no match for any vampire, let alone a sired one like Kazunari.

“Tet-chan, what are you—” Kazunari blocked Tetsuya’s attack with crossed wrists, and Tetsuya responded by dropping to the ground and kicking out Kazunari’s legs. 

Kazunari flipped instantly and combated Tetsuya’s attack with his own. The kick wasn’t at full-strength, but it still slammed Tetsuya back against the far wall.

“Kuroko!” Shintarou shouted before his voice turned desperate. “Takao!”

But Kazunari couldn’t be stopped, dashing at Tetsuya to pin him. Tetsuya responded by rolling at the last second, sending Kazunari crashing against the wall. Then, he threw Kazunari’s back against it and flicked his wrist, bringing a hidden dagger into his palm and up, flush against Kazunari’s neck. 

A tiny drop of blood slid from the blade. 

“It was you, wasn’t it, Kazu-kun?” Tetsuya demanded, voice tight but calm. “You scouted Taiga-kun’s apartment for Midorima-san, for Akashi-san. You’re the reason—”

“Kuroko…don’t.” Shintarou’s strained voice startled Tetsuya, though he kept the blade poised, ready to strike. “ _Please._ ”

The formal request subdued the remaining hurt Tetsuya felt, and he recoiled, slipping the dagger back into his long sleeve. “I do not understand the cause of your concern, Midorima-san. The dispute I have is with Kazu-kun and does not concern you.”

“But the root of your pain lies with me, and now, after living through your…disappearance, I know the suffering you endured because of the loss of your friend.” He grit his teeth but acknowledged in a vehement plea, “The suffering you endured because of me.”

Tetsuya blinked before he glanced out at the open door, where the smattered red bean milkshake pooled upon the floor. “I came to bring you the milkshake Atsushi-san made for you, Shin-san.”

Shintarou’s eyes widened, just a fraction, at the nickname Tetsuya used to call him, and he doubted anyone but he, Kazunari, and probably Seijuro would have noticed. But Shintarou did. And though he wanted to smile at the kindness Shintarou showed underneath his cold exterior, Tetsuya could only glance away. 

“I apologize if you gave the impression that I am one who seeks revenge, Shin-san,” he began with a short bow, “but I do not blame you for what happened to Ogiwara-kun. It was my fault.”

“Kuroko.” Shintarou leapt forward to snatch Tetsuya’s shorter shoulders. “You cannot—You hold no blame. You were a child, trying to live in a world that wanted to destroy you, and—I— _Teikou_ wanted to protect you. And instead, I took your closest friend from you.”

“That is…unfair, Shin-san.” Tetsuya clasped his hands over Shintarou’s cold ones. “I cherished Ogiwara-kun as I cherish his memory, but I was a part of Teikou. And I cherish that very much as well.” He patted Shintarou’s hands before turning to glare at Kazunari, using his own variation of Taiga’s intimidating glower. “As I cherish my bonds of trust and friendship with Seirin.” 

Kazunari put up his hands, as if surrendering. “Hey, hey, now, Tet-chan. It wasn’t like I wanted to tell Shin-chan or Rakuzan about you, but—you’ve seen Akashi. He can be freakin’ scary, and if he found out that I didn’t tell him everything—”

“You feared he would gouge out your eyes?”

Kazunari dropped one hand to the back of his neck. “You see the irony, don’t you?”

Tetsuya took a measured step forward. “So instead, you broke the bond we formed at Seirin, and—” 

“He did the right thing,” Shintarou resigned as he grabbed a roll of paper towels and a bottle of cleaner from a closet. “You were wrong to hide your continued existence from us, from Akashi. You must have known he, at least, would eventually find out. It is a feat in and of itself that you were able to evade him for so long.”

Tetsuya sighed and plopped down on one of the stools. “Yes, I suppose you are correct.”

“With our help!” Kazunari slung an arm about Tetsuya’s shoulders and tugged him close. “Right? You wouldn’t have been able to do it without Seirin, right, Tet-chan?” 

“The Fae and Werewolves offered me sanctuary in their camps.”

“Hey!”

“But the Fae was unfortunately snobbish and the werewolves smell. I am grateful for finding a home in Seirin.” He looked up at Kazunari with a sad smile. “We miss you in Seirin, Kazu-kun.”

“Of course! What’s not to miss?”

“But—I am grateful that you found a benevolent sire in Shin-san. You complement his analytical and sharp skills with your lithe and effortless attacks. You’re a good match.”

“Like you and Kagami.” Shintarou knelt to wipe up the split milkshake. “Like Akashi and Mibuchi. There is more to that story, Kuroko. Mibuchi wouldn’t have just attacked you, and Kagami shouldn’t have retaliated so violently. And if I know it, then Akashi does, too.”

Tetsuya tore off more paper towels and held them out to Shintarou when he gazed upward. He kept his face impassive, but the skin about Shintarou’s eyes and lips crinkled. He saw the silent truth in Tetsuya’s eyes. 

“You missed a spot.”

“I think I missed a lot more than that.” 

“Better than missing your eyes,” Kazunari added. 

“You’re here because Akashi doesn’t want to lose you again, but he also wants the truth, Kuroko. Consider telling him.” 

Tetsuya tipped-toe past the remaining liquid; Shintarou called after him. 

“Did Aomine ever tell you what happened to your friend Ogiwara?”

Tetsuya’s shoulders tensed, and ice settled in his stomach. When he closed his eyes, he couldn’t escape the bloodied scene that scarred him all over again. 

“He didn’t need to, Shin-san. I was there when Ogiwara-kun died.”

When Shintarou spoke, his voice was a low admission. “Aomine has made Touou strong, but he alone could not have made it the most powerful coven in Tokyo. Perhaps when you are ready for the truth, you should ask him what happened that night on the streetball court.” 

Tetsuya allowed the words to sink in, but he couldn’t move until he felt Taiga’s reassuring presence, soothing the sharp pain that Shintarou had unwitting inflicted upon him. Tetsuya didn’t need to revisit the past again—to remember that night when Ogiwara was torn to shreds by Teikou’s relentless claws. But Taiga promised him through their bond, through their shared warmth, that he was always there, always with him and would never leave. 

But Ogiwara had, and Tetsuya indulged that night, curled up against his headrest, drowning in Taiga’s endless light. 

*^*^*

_Year One_

When the cool electricity crackled upon Seijuro’s skin, he glanced up from the book he was reading, grateful for the warning of Tetsuya’s existence. Tetsuya had such a weak presence that most humans wouldn’t even notice him, but for a vampire, he shimmered like a beacon—if the vampire knew what the sensation meant. But Teikou did, so Tetsuya could never sneak out of the tower or even his room without one of them knowing. 

Seijuro heard the soft knocking two doors down. Tetsuya usually went to Daiki for comfort, though today he wouldn’t find a reassuring word and the kind albeit gruff offer to spend the night in his “older brother’s” room. Instead, he’d find an empty chamber and a quiet tower, as Seijuro sent Atsushi, Daiki, Haizaki, and Shintarou out on an errand. He didn’t trust Haizaki alone with anyone anymore, especially not with Tetsuya. 

He closed his book and placed it on his end table as the sound of soft sobs trickled in from the hallway. By the time he found Tetsuya, all wrapped up in a blanket with disheveled hair and a red, splotchy face, something within Seijuro had already begun to thaw. 

“Tetsuya, it’s late. You should be in bed.” He ruffled Tetsuya’s hair, savoring his own scent upon the boy. He made sure to mark Tetsuya every so often, just in case Haizaki’s warped mind entertained any sick notions. He doubted it would actually stop Haizaki, but it would make Haizaki hesitate if he smelled Seijuro’s overwhelming stench upon Tetsuya’s soft skin. 

Seijuro wasn’t ready for the scent to overwhelm _him_ when Tetsuya suddenly latched onto his torso, faced buried in his chest. “They came for me,” was the broken whimper. 

“Who came for you?”

Another choked sob escaped the trembling mortal before he managed to gasp, “The Dark Claws.”

Despite himself—Seijuro deplored close contact with anyone, even his own coven, due to his own traumatic upbringing—he secured Tetsuya against his body, dropping his head to Tetsuya’s soft mop. His voice dipped to a low murmur to soothe and comfort the troubled boy. “Tetsuya, no one is here but you, Momoi-san, and me. You’re here in Teikou now, and we won’t let anything happen to you.”

“But I saw—they were here—I—”

“It was a nightmare, nothing more,” Seijuro assured, though he understood Tetsuya’s fears. They were too real, too dark, and too true to just dismiss. “The Dark Claws cannot harm you anymore, and if they did, we would stop them. You no longer belong to them.”

Tetsuya sounded every bit of his young age. “You can’t say that.”

“Yes, I can,” Seijuro insisted, perhaps with a rougher tone than he wanted at Tetsuya’s doubt of Teikou’s fondness and protection. “You belong to us, Tetsuya, to Teikou, and we will never let you go.”

Tiny shivers persisted, wracking Tetsuya’s frame, and all Seijuro knew was that he wanted to stop them. 

“But—aren’t you vampires, too?” Tetsuya asked in a tiny voice, so vulnerable in its lack of emotion that Seijuro heard the plea for reassurance. “Haizaki-san always says he wants to taste my blood, and—” 

Seijuro already planned to silence Haizaki’s idiotic mouth, but Tetsuya’s frightened words quickened the time-table, just like the bonding that was to happen tonight. 

“Tetsuya, has anyone ever explained to you the importance of a vampire coven before?”

Like Seijuro expected, Tetsuya shook his head. 

“A coven is akin to a family, but their bonds are more than emotional and physical. Each member shares his or her life force with each other, so when a member of the coven is injured, every member shares the pain, reducing the individual’s suffering.”

Tetsuya’s glistening blue eyes seemed to take up half his face when he looked up Seijuro with a hopeful but wavering gaze. 

“It means when one member of a coven is suffering, we all know. It means you could never be harmed without Daiki, Shintarou, Atsushi, Momoi-san, or I being able to stop it.”

“Am I a part of the coven, Sei-san?”

Shintarou had voiced his concern when Seijuro brought up Tetsuya’s place in the coven only a few days prior. 

“You will make him a formal member of Teikou?” Shintarou’s displeasure was adamant. “But…it is not…possible for a mortal to survive the initiation…is it?”

“A human, no, but Tetsuya is a Pure, born from a vampire’s own blood. He exists to serve vampires, and what better way would he serve our kind than as a member of a coven, surviving for no other reason to give his life force for his masters?”

Perturbed, Shintarou crossed his arms and glanced away. “I do not condone this, Akashi. He is a mortal. He doesn’t deserve the path you have chosen for him.”

“And you would have chosen a different one? Despite what you say, you know there is no kinder journey for one of his kind. This is the best course of action.”

Shintarou huffed but didn’t disagree, which Seijuro knew would happen. He’d made the right decision, even if Shintarou wouldn’t verbally concede. 

“So when will you tell him? When he becomes an adult? When he feels his first loss or his first shock? Do you even have any idea if he will survive that?”

Now, as Tetsuya looked at him expectantly, Seijuro gave something to Tetsuya he’d never given to any member of their coven before—a choice. While he believed this was the best choice for the young mortal, Tetsuya had to believe it, too. “Do you want to be part of our coven, Tetsuya? Would you like to join Teikou?”

Surprisingly, Tetsuya’s answer was instantaneous. “Yes.”

For most covens, a new member was a time of celebration with an official ceremony where the new member would drink from the coven leader and join his brethren before feeding on a shared meal and enjoying the pleasurable relief of no longer being alone. 

But Seijuro brought new members into Teikou without such pomp and circumstance. He collected his members individually, slicing open his wrist and all but forcing them to feed upon him. The other members then returned to the tower from their plans, sensitively aware of the newest member of their coven, his life force radiating intimately against their souls. 

But unlike young vampires, Tetsuya had no desire to drink from an open wound, so Seijuro dragged Tetsuya into the kitchen where he poured some of his blood into a thick drink and served it up to Tetsuya. 

“Usually warm milk helps with sleep, but I suppose red bean milkshakes will work just as well,” Seijuro explained as Kuroko stared down into the large glass cup. 

“But I like vanilla, Sei-san.”

Seijuro loved Tetsuya, but children certainly were very particular. “Drink this first, and then I’ll see about getting Atsushi to make you a vanilla shake.”

Eyes never lifting from the red substance, Tetsuya relented without another word. After two sips, however, he put down the glass with a silent pout. “Are you sure we don’t have vanilla, Sei-san? I thought Atsushi-san made a new batch this—mphm.”

Seijuro placed the straw back in Tetsuya’s mouth and said with a strained smile and hardened voice, “Drink, Tetsuya.”

With a quiet grunt, Tetsuya sipped again and again, pulling up the drink and swallowing rapidly in hopes of getting his vanilla reward, but then Seijuro watched as Tetsuya’s eyes brightened with a faint red glow. His drinking slowed, and then he stopped all together, heaving in wet, soft gasps that shocked his entire body. Seijuro, too, felt the sudden injection of emotions and thoughts and warmth—Tetsuya’s soul was so warm and kind and tender, despite its frantic and frightened nature—and Seijuro came about the kitchen island where Tetsuya sat on a stool to push a few locks of hair behind Tetsuya’s ear and brush a knuckle across Tetsuya’s inflamed cheek. 

He let out the sigh he’d been holding, pressing his forehead against Tetsuya’s soft hair and just reveling in the boy’s steady presence. Tetsuya had survived the bonding—unlike any other mortal ever had. 

Those eyes were crystalline and scared when they rose to meet Seijuro’s, and Tetsuya whispered, “Sei-san?”

Seijuro touched the sudden warmth of Tetsuya’s life force with his own, cradling it as best he could, and then leaned over, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of Tetsuya’s head. “Welcome to Teikou, Tetsuya.”

To Be Continued…


	7. Breakable and Unbreakable Bonds

_Year Two_

Kise Ryouta was talented, skilled, and frivolous, but his bright and cheerful presence in Teikou was welcome. Apparently, Daiki had a knack for not just picking up spirited humans but also spirited members of the supernatural races. So Seijuro indulged him and allowed Ryouta into the coven, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t have other motives. 

After receiving word from America about a collapsing coven, Nijimura stepped down as head of Teikou and offered to help the vampires in Los Angeles. Now, as head of Teikou, Seijuro needed to gather the ones around him who would support and follow his orders, as well as protect Tetsuya. And that was what made Ryouta most valuable. 

Originally, Ryouta was cold and distant to Tetsuya, spurning him with quite a few unfortunate barbs. “How can you have a mortal in a coven? What can he possibly do for us? What good is he in a war between the races, and just what is up with that cold lightning on my skin every time I’m near him? Huhuhuh!”

Daiki groaned and slapped Ryouta across the back of his head. “Don’t be such a Fae, Kise. And yeah, Tetsu might be a mortal, but that’s what cool about him. He’s different from us. You’ll see.”

A particular battle had been cruel and fierce against the Fae, and as Shintarou, though injured himself, sprang from one vampire to another, Tetsuya supplied support, getting bandages, peroxide, even blood for those who needed it. Ryouta was one of the least hurt and just waited by the infirmary door for his examination—and to watch over his friends. 

“This must have a difficult battle for you,” a sudden voice sounded next to Ryouta, and he flinched until he saw Tetsuya’s eyes staring up at him with sympathy and light. The kid was short, only up to Ryouta’s elbow, but he lifted up a cup of—was that onion gratin soup? There was even melted cheese across the top. 

“The Fae are sadistic bastards who want to beautify the world to their own grotesque standards,” Ryouta snarled but took the soup anyway. Hmm. It was good. “Every battle is hard fought against them.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Tetsuya replied, leaning against the wall next to Ryouta. Everyone else seemed to be content on the medical beds, except Shintarou, of course. “You’re half-Fae, right? So it must have been difficult for you to fight your own kind.”

Ryouta blinked down at the young mortal. “How—How did you know that?”

Tetsuya shrugged and sipped on his own drink—a vanilla milkshake. “You are annoyingly loud sometimes, and you flutter about just like one. Plus, your cheeks sparkle, but where are your wings?”

“My wings?”

“Don’t all Fae have wings?” 

Ryouta shrugged. “Yes, but I’m half-vampire. So I was born with sharp teeth instead of wings.”

“I think I would have preferred wings.”

“What’s wrong with sharp teeth?” Ryouta nudged him in the shoulder. “Even you have them. Hey, what’s with that?”

“I’m a Pure.” 

Ryouta gagged, and he almost dropped his cup. As it was, he splashed some of the heated liquid upon shirt.

“So the sharp teeth are part of my make-up, probably from my vampire parent,” Tetsuya said with little pretense. “That doesn’t explain your lack of wings.”

Seijuro caught Ryouta’s astonished gasp as he sat up and ignored Shintarou’s protest to watch as Tetsuya wrapped yet another one of them around that pale pinky. 

Ryouta snorted and sipped his soup. “Well, your parentage doesn’t explain how you knew my favorite food.”

“I listen. You should try it sometime.”

“You’re just a little snot, aren’t you? How old are you anyway?”

Tetsuya shrugged and deadpanned, “Eleven hundred and one.”

“You’re also a little liar. The Pure are supposedly mortal.”

“Have you ever met another one?”

“Well, no.” Ryouta’s face scrunched with doubt and uncertainty. “But that doesn’t mean—”

“—you’re talking out of your ass?”

Ryouta gasped and slapped a hand over Tetsuya’s mouth. “Kurokocchi shouldn’t say such things! He is still an innocent, young mortal! What has Aominecchi been teaching you?”

Then Ryouta gasped again but for an entirely different reason. Tetsuya licked his hand, and Ryouta started squealing about cooties and all sort of mortal germs. But the tension that once stiffened Ryouta’s shoulders was gone, banished by Tetsuya’s quiet laughter and gentle smile. 

Ryouta began to accompany Tetsuya and Daiki on their Saturday streetball excursions when Seijuro couldn’t attend himself, and they also invited Atsushi from time to time. They lured Haizaki, too, but for a completely different reason, as the older vampire never interacted with the group but simply loomed just out of sight of the players. It was the reason, Seijuro believed, Daiki started to pick up and drop off Shige at his apartment. 

Seijuro never left anything up to chance, and the first morning he found Haizaki looming in front of Tetsuya’s door, it was his last. 

“The inevitable has arrived,” Seijuro addressed, the threatening edge in his voice unmistakable. “You are no longer needed nor wanted in Teikou, Haizaki-san. If you leave now, I will allow your body to remain intact.”

Haizaki snatched Seijuro by the front of his shirt and tugged him close, but that was to be expected. “Are you kidding me? Nijimura isn’t even gone yet, and you think I’m going to listen to a little punk like—”

“Kise has already begun to surpass you in training,” Seijuro continued in his low, menacing tone, “and Tetsuya is more comfortable around him than you. I will not have you harm any member of our coven.”

“Member?” Haizaki snorted, his own grin becoming thin and desperate. “Kid’s a mortal, bred for the sole purpose of feeding our kind and keeping it the strongest supernatural race.” His eyes darkened, and he licked his lips. “Admit it, Akashi. You found the boy so delicious, you decided to keep him for yourself, didn’t you? You bleed him when the others aren’t looking, and that’s how you became as strong as you are. That’s why Nijimura made you leader, and that’s why you’re kicking me out now. Because you think I’ll expose your dirty little secret. Share, and I just might let you keep it.” 

Losing a member of a coven was akin to losing a part of yourself, but it was a part Seijuro was willing to shed. 

Breaking the bond between a vampire and a coven was necessary for the entire coven to survive separately, and though there was more than one way to do so, Seijuro decided on the most merciful. He dug his fangs into Haizaki’s wrist and sucked, swallowing the bonded blood with abandon. He’d drain Haizaki dry and place him in the Imperial Gardens for the Fae or another coven to adopt. If both refused, he’d wither in the morning sun, a kind end for a rather unkind vampire. 

Seijuro tasked the job of ridding Teikou of the drained Haizaki to Atsushi, who did so with a yawn and a grumble, but it was Shintarou, waiting inside the sleeping Tetsuya’s chambers, who saw past Seijuro’s resolute façade. 

“He was right, wasn’t he?” he began in an empathetic whisper. “I’ve seen the hidden glances you give Tetsuya when you think no one is watching. You crave his blood.”

“Yes,” Seijuro admitted after a moment of hesitation. His eyes glowed a melancholy crimson. “Tetsuya’s blood is like a siren’s song, its scent and taste a tantalizing call of purity and sin. But…he is a child, Shintarou, a mortal and a member of our coven. I would forfeit my life before I harmed him.”

Shintarou’s eyes narrowed, though he didn’t doubt his conviction. After all, they all agreed upon one simple fact—their mortal member was to be protected at all cost. 

“Shintarou, why were in Tetsuya’s chambers? Why have all of the current members of Teikou taken turns protecting Tetsuya from Haizaki?” Seijuro tried to suppress the rising smile upon his lips. “We protect our own, do we not?”

Shintarou grunted, eyes firm and loathing, before he glanced back at the cracked open door to Tetsuya’s room. “I do not know to what you refer, Akashi. I simply stopped inside Kuroko’s room because he asked for a drink.”

Seijuro refused to stop the small smile from forming upon his lips. “Of course you did, Shintarou. Forgive my assumption.”

“…Shin-san? Sei-san?” Kuroko stood in the doorway of his room, Daiki’s jacket wrapped around his body. “It’s—It’s cold in here.”

It was, but the temperature was not the cause. The severing of coven bonds were never a pleasant experience and usually ended with requiem, all members mourning their shared loss, suffering the separation as one. And Haizaki, even if he hadn’t died, was gone from their coven and thus, would receive the proper memorial. 

Seijuro beckoned Tetsuya to his side and tucked the mortal under his arm, rubbing Tetsuya’s bicep in a warming, comforting motion. “Why don’t we see if Atsushi can make us some warm vanilla, hm?”

Tetsuya trotted next to him. “Sei-san, what happened to Haizaki-san? I thought you had ordered him to guard my room like Shin-san.”

“Haizaki decided it was best to leave at the moment. He has business to take care of, much like Nijimura-san.”

“Oh. Will he ever come back?” He shivered again, and Seijuro struggled to find the right words when Ryouta did what he always did best—interrupt. 

“Kurokocchi! You look like a Popsicle.” He engulfed the short mortal in a warm embrace and scooped the shivering Tetsuya into his arms. “I just ate. So did Aominecchi. We’ll warm you up like hot chocolate!”

“But I like vanilla.”

“You have no taste!” 

It was Shintarou who answered in their wake, though to no one in particular. “You chose correctly when bringing Kise into the coven, Akashi, though I will kill you myself if you ever tell anyone I said that.”

“Of course…Shin-san.”

Shintarou chuckled and clasped Seijuro on the shoulder as they walked down the hall toward the family room. No other words were needed. They were almost always in agreement when it came to the decisions of the coven, even if they voiced some differences in opinion from time to time. 

The gathering was festive, enjoyable as they ate light snacks and sipped warm drinks, saluting their lost member. If Tetsuya was uncertain about his new role in the coven or about the loss of Haizaki, he didn’t voice it. Instead, Seijuro watched as he sat bookended by Ryouta and Daiki, who ruffled his hair and wrapped their arms about his body to keep him warm against the cold truth. 

Momoi, too, joined in, all but tackling him in a sweltering embrace, while Atsushi, Shintarou, and Seijuro sat upon the floor, offering hot drinks and consoling stories. 

They survived the night and the loss as one. 

*^*^*  
_Now_

“You shouldn’t quit your day job.” Tetsuya stopped, thoughtful, and blinked. “My apologies, Ryouta-kun. Modeling is your day job, isn’t it?”

“Kurokocchi is so mean!” Ryouta glanced over his shoulder to look at his three-paneled mirror, fixing his hat just so and straightening the vest. “What? You don’t like my trilby?”

Sitting cross-legged on Ryouta’s bed, Tetsuya wore one of the model’s knit caps that pressed his bangs further down his face and an unbuttoned vest over his form-fitting T-shirt and relaxed jeans. Surrounding him were piles of clothes, and he dug through them until he found the desired dark tie. “Here. Try this, but tie it loosely.”

Ryouta did as Tetsuya ordered, muttering, “I don’t know why I listen to you, Kurokocchi. You have absolutely no fashion sense.” 

Tetsuya let out a soft laugh. “Perhaps, but I am closer to your gawkers’ ages than you.”

“Are you calling me ‘old’?”

“‘Old’ doesn’t accurately describe your age, Ryouta-kun.”

Ryouta just didn’t warrant a “san.” “So harsh! You make it sound like being just over three hundred years old is ancient. It’s not like I remember when Edo became the capital.”

“Tokyo, Ryouta-kun. The city is now known as Tokyo.”

“No one likes a know-it-all, Kurokocchi.”

“So you dislike Akashi-san? How about Shin-san?” Tetsuya replied in his usual dry voice, but Ryouta heard right through his façade, smirking as he modeled his latest outfit. 

“Still calling Akashicchi by his last name, huh?”

Tetsuya glowered down at his designer jeans as if they were the cause of his frustration. “It’s barely been over three weeks since I’ve been here, and he forced me to come back.”

When Ryouta wagged his eyebrows, Tetsuya gave him a thumbs up. The quasi-formal yet somehow semi-casual look accented the vampire’s fun personality and hinted at the serious undertones Ryouta only allowed a precious few to see. 

He walked forward to fidget with Tetsuya’s knit cap a little more and pull a few strands of his bangs down against his cheeks. “You—You don’t want to be part of Teikou again?” Ryouta questioned, as if dreading the answer. 

Tetsuya pursed his lips but let Ryouta fuss as he wished. “It’s—It’s not that simple.” It really wasn’t. “I’m a part of Seirin now, a legitimate member of their clan. Taiga-kun and I have the most kills out of all the members, and they need me.” Taiga’s presence made itself known then, warming him with pride and genuine affection. “They need me, and Teikou doesn’t. You never did, and it’s wrong of me to sit here and play dress up with you while they could be out there doing—!”

Ryouta tugged the knit cap over his eyes, successfully silencing him. “You don’t know what Akashicchi is doing, and I thought out of all of us, you understood him best.” Before Tetsuya could reply, Ryouta tore the hat from Tetsuya’s head. “He’s bonding you to us again, Kurokocchi! You sliced that bond when you left Teikou, so he’s reconstructing it. But that takes more than one ritual. It takes time and trust and dress-ups and basketball games and—and—we’re your family!” 

“ _Were_ my family, Ryouta-kun, and—hmph!”

“It was my fault, Kurokocchi!” Like a clamping vice, Ryouta caught Tetsuya in a choking hold. “I’m so sorry! Please don’t leave us again! You belong here, with us, in Teikou, and I know I said differently—but—but you have no idea how long I was cold after you left, and I can’t lose you again. None of us can. Don’t you see that?”

Coming back to Teikou forced Tetsuya to face a lot of difficult truths, some painful, some comforting. He never wanted to harm any members of the Teikou Coven, but they all mourned him. Perhaps they had all began to change before Teikou disbanded, but maybe he had cemented their transformation by leaving the coven. After all, he never thought Teikou would disband. He just always assumed they’d come together, like they had after Haizaki’s banishment, and reform the bonds that had started to break. 

Instead, they’d gone to their separate covens, formed new bonds, and thrived…as best as they could it seemed, if Ryouta’s tears were any indication.

“But…Ryouta-kun…” Tetsuya swallowed and forced the words through his numb lips. “…do you belong to Teikou? Or do you belong to Kaijo now?”

Ryouta blinked, taken back, and his face darkened as he thought. Before he had a chance to answer, a knock came on the open door. 

“Hey, Akashi’s back,” Aomine announced, looking very uncomfortable at the sight of their tears. So he added, “Ah, he said he brought back presents for everyone.”

“Presents?” Ryouta perked up and grabbed Tetsuya’s wrist. “Come on, Kurokocchi!” 

As Ryouta dragged him down the hallway, Tetsuya both wanted and dreaded seeing Seijuro after the leader was away for more than a week. How would Seijuro react? Would he still want Tetsuya here, or would he have realized just how much Tetsuya’s presence affected Teikou and the other supernatural races? Did Tatsuya explain just how important he was to the clans, to Seirin? 

Though Tetsuya missed Taiga and Seirin, an irrational part of him clung to Teikou and its comforting reminder of the past. Being forced to be part of the coven allowed Tetsuya’s guilt to subside somewhat. Though he still wanted to be with Seirin, he relished in all Teikou offered him—whatever that was exactly.

Closure? Protection? Milkshakes? 

But all his ambivalent thoughts fizzled when a familiar growl sounded in the main room, and Tetsuya bolted in front of Ryouta. His heart lifted, and a genuine smile of immense joy revived his face at the sight of the large beast that tried to bite through the chain-link leash Seijuro held. 

“Nigou!”

The beast whirled upon his paws, his ears perking up and mouth opening to release his pink tongue. His frustrated growls became happy barks, and as he bound toward Tetsuya, Seijuro seemed to know better than to restrain him again. 

The chain clinked against the floor before the wolf-dog rode up onto his hind legs to slap his front paws on Tetsuya’s shoulders. The crying and whining wolf assaulted Tetsuya’s tear-stained face with his tongue until he put too much pressure on shorter mortal, knocking Tetsuya to the floor. 

Tetsuya was too caught up in Nigou’s presence to care. He wrapped his arms about the massive beast’s neck and buried his now sticky face in Nigou’s fur. His wolf smelled faintly of wet hair, blood, and…burgers? Was Taiga feeding Nigou cheeseburgers? As a bribe to be good or out of laziness? 

Tetsuya emotionally conveyed his teasing scorn at Taiga, who projected his confusion in return, but then Nigou demanded his full attention again, rubbing his cold snout against Tetsuya’s neck. 

“Nigou…” Tetsuya obliged, petting the back of his head in an almost obsessive motion. “Nigou…”

Nigou responded with high-pitched whines and the thump-thump-thump of his tail as it pounded the floor time and time again. 

Even though Tetsuya could feel Taiga at any given moment, he missed his brother and the simple pleasures of their day-to-day life, including his precious Nigou. 

As if not to intrude on Tetsuya’s private moment, Daiki whispered, “Nigou?”

“Tetsuya Two,” Seijuro replied simply. 

Atsushi hummed in a thoughtful whine. “Muro-chin named him after one look at his eyes.”

“It is uncanny,” Shintarou added as he came into the room, but Tetsuya barely registered them as he leaned back on his hunches and met Nigou’s eyes. 

“How is Taiga-kun, Nigou?” He rubbed the back of Nigou’s ears, finding the spot that just made his overgrown puppy melt under his fingertips. “Has he been good to you, huh? Has he been letting you sleep in his bed?”

Nigou’s tail thumped again, and he dropped to the floor, rolling over to let Tetsuya pet his belly. He huffed with absolute pleasure as his body contorted to get Tetsuya to scratch where he wanted, but then two soft steps jerked him to his paws. Kazunari stood in the doorway, hesitation evident in his gaze, and Nigou was up and running to his knees. 

“Hey, boy.” Kazunari accepted the quick laps and scratched Nigou’s chin. “Miss me?”

A strained whine was the reply before Ryouta came forward and put out his hand. “Hey, I’ve heard of you. Kagamicchi complained more than once that your bite is worse than your—”

One sniff of Ryouta’s fingertips pulled a growl through Nigou’s clenched teeth, and he retreated to Tetsuya, clamping down on his shirt and yanking him toward the door. 

“N-Nigou! Nigou! Stop!” 

Tetsuya glanced up at the hurt Ryouta. If anyone in Teikou would unhinge Nigou, Tetsuya never thought it would be Ryouta, but he’d startled Nigou, who with his massive size and jaws, succeeded in dragging Tetsuya a full fifteen feet, even after he struggled to his feet and tried to free his shirt. When the cloth began to tear, the wolf double-downed, taking even a chunk of Tetsuya’s jeans in his mouth. 

“Nigou!”

When the dog bumped into Seijuro, he glanced over his shoulder but kept a firm grip on Tetsuya’s clothes. “We had this discussion, Nigou. You are welcome to stay in Teikou Tower _with_ Tetsuya as long you don’t try to escape. If you don’t behave, I will banish you to the roof.”

Nigou dropped Tetsuya’s clothes and whined, sitting on his tail and nuzzling Tetsuya’s hand.

“Akashi-san!” Tetsuya admonished. “He is a dog.”

“He is a wolf and a far more intelligent one than you are aware.”

“This may come as a shock to Akashi-san and everyone in Teikou, but I am not a child anymore.” Tetsuya obliged Nigou, petting his head with gentle, soothing strokes. “It would be best if you stopped treating me like one.”

“Hmph.” Shintarou saved a tight glance for Nigou as well as Tetsuya. “You are not even legal in the eyes of the government, let alone what your age truly means in our world.”

“My kill list refutes any perceived governmental oversight,” Tetsuya argued, “and I do not see how age is of any importance to—” 

“You’re not even a tenth of Ryouta’s age,” Daiki interrupted, arms folded over his chest.

“Hey!”

“Shut up, Kise. It’s true, and Tetsu needs to understand that—”

“—you’re doing this for my well-being?” Tetsuya challenged. “I stay here to protect Taiga-kun and Seirin, but I am not helpless. I’m not the child you sheltered once. I am a bloodied slayer, a full member of the clan of Seirin, and one of the fiercest warriors of the supernatural races.” 

Silence greeted his declaration, and he waited patiently, arms crossed in an almost exact imitation of Daiki’s stance, before Atsushi broke the silence. 

“Ehhh…? Is Kuro-chin…rebelling?”

“Children do go through a rebellious period, though they are usually younger by a handful of years,” Shintarou replied, and his glasses caught the overhead light as he pushed them up. 

“Kurokocchi did run away from home at fifteen,” Ryouta offered. 

“True. That would qualify as teenage rebellion. I believe the appropriate parental response is either to send Tetsuya to his room without dinner or spank him.”

Daiki snorted. “I think you need to go back to reading those parenting books, Midorima.”

Teikou Coven was dismissing his actions as nothing more than the whims of a rash teenager? Tetsuya blinked and looked to Kazunari for some support, but Kazunari barely held his laughter inside, his arms squeezed tightly about his midsection. His expression clearly said, _It’s all true,_ which was just not helpful. 

So Tetsuya dropped his hands to the side and beckoned Nigou to follow him as he retreated toward the hallway and his room. “Hm. They call me a member of their coven, Nigou, but I have never been given the full rights of one. If I were a vampire—uk!”

For a massive body, Atsushi moved fast, snatching Nigou’s leash before the beast could attack Daiki, who had pinned Tetsuya against the wall. “Never say that. Do you understand me?” Daiki hissed into his ear, his fingers digging into Tetsuya’s pale skin at the neck and wrist. His face twisted with barely contained fury, and this close to Tetsuya’s face, it was frighteningly fierce. “Do you have any idea what you’ll lose? What you’ll become? And yet instead of thanking us for all we do for you—”

“Don’t,” Tetsuya replied in sharp reproach. “I did not ask you to.”

Nigou snarled and jerked against his chain as Daiki’s face lost some of its fight, devastation shaking his fists. “Would you have rather I left you with the Dark Claws? Would you rather have been _there_ than _here_?”

“No,” Tetsuya murmured, truth lacing the words. “I will always be grateful to you and Teikou for saving me, but in the end, I was a burden. We grew apart, and there’s no doubt that it was for one reason. This is a coven, and I am not a vampire.” 

Shintarou was there, placing a hand upon his shoulder. “Aomine,” he whispered, “Let him go.”

Daiki struggled to refute his claim before surrendering, dropping his hands from Tetsuya’s collar and walking away. 

Tetsuya headed in the opposite direction. Nigou trailed after him but not without one last growl in the coven’s direction. 

*^*^*  
_Year Two_

Tensions between supernatural races and even covens began to lure Seijuro away from the tower, and Ryouta took his place on the streetball court. Shige immediately took to Ryouta’s outgoing personality, chatting away about anything and everything. It was quite entertaining watching them, and Tetsu, being the adorable little shit he was, mimicked Ryouta’s arm movements and facial expressions. Daiki smacked him up the back of his head but laughed. He was pretty on point. 

When it was time to break up into teams, they played every which way, but Shige had his favorite, despite their horrible record against the vampires. 

“Tetsu’s on my team!” he announced, slinging an arm about Tetsuya’s neck and drawing him close. “Watch out! One of these days, we’re going to sweep the court with you.”

“There’s no way either one of us will live long enough for that, let alone them,” Ryouta muttered out of the corner of his mouth. 

Daiki elbowed him and threw a bounce-pass at Shige, who caught it easily. “You can have ball first.”

Shige was another little shit and threw the ball back. Damnit. Akashi was right. He had a habit of collecting them, didn’t he? “Nah. You take it out first, Daiki. Let’s see if you still have it, old man.”

“Old…man? You are so going to get it, Shige!”

For good measure, when Daiki blew past him that first time, he tussled Shige’s hair. Ryouta attacked Tetsuya’s. Of course, Ryouta didn’t let go, spinning Tetsuya around like a doll and laughing as Tetsuya still tried to block. That kid never gave up. 

And Ryouta never let go. Daiki saw him tense in the corner of his eye, his arms wrapping about Tetsuya’s shoulders from behind to hold him close while Daiki immediately shifted into a defensive position, placing himself in front of Shige. He kept an arm on the little human’s shoulder just to make sure he was still safe. 

The aggressing coven was larger than Teikou by a few members, looming by the opening of the streetball court. In their dark jackets and jeans, they weren’t dressed particularly for battle, but the sickening, yellow glint of their eyes, coupled with the plastered expressions of greed and lust, thickening the pit in Daiki’s gut and put his instincts on edge. 

“Something we can help you with?” Daiki began over Ryouta’s grunt of disapproval. “What? If they are going to attack, might as well get it over with.”

“Patience is not one of your virtues.”

“Never said it was.”

“You’re hopeless.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing?”

“We want the Pure,” one of the leaders, a tall man with slicked back hair and dark eyes, demanded, stepping in front of the pack and interrupting Ryouta and Daiki’s argument. “We’d like your heads as well, but we’ll settle for just the kid.”

“See? You went one step too far. Our heads, maybe doable with your higher numbers, but no one touches the kids.” Daiki added the plural with a squeeze of Shige’s trembling shoulder. “Leave now and hope we never see you again. Or you won’t keep _your_ heads.”

It wasn’t a threat as much as it was an icy truth. 

The leader only seemed amused. “You should have known better than to attack the Fukuda Sougou Coven, Teikou. You might have killed Ishida, but you have not destroyed our coven. And now that we have allied with other Dark Claws—” He motioned to his supporters. “—we will end you and take back what is rightfully ours.”

Shit. 

“Aominecchi, what’s he talking about?” 

“Later.” Daiki dragged Shige to Ryouta and Tetsu before positioning them behind the basketball hoop. It wasn’t much cover, but it was the best the situation offered. 

“Get down and close your eyes,” he instructed, his eyes following the slow advancement of the coven. 

Tetsu grabbed onto his sleeve and tugged with his small fingers. “But Daiki-san, they want me, not you. Perhaps it would be for the best to—”

“Hey, you’re a member of Teikou, our coven, and we don’t let go that easily.” Daiki put his fist out to Tetsu, who returned the pump with less force than Daiki would have liked. “Both of you, keep your heads down and eyes closed. Shige, hold onto him. If he goes to move, sit on him. Got it?” 

“Yes, Daiki- _san_!” Shige even saluted, though Tetsu, despite his calm appearance, shone unshed tears at Daiki and Ryouta, before his eyes slid shut in resignation. 

Daiki and Ryouta stood then, creating a protective barrier in front of the two huddling tweens. “You know, one of these days, you’re going to get me killed,” Ryouta muttered. 

“Maybe, but today’s not that day.”

No other words were exchanged, between Ryouta and Daiki or the Dark Claws. All that mattered now was the battle, which was bloody, vicious, and harrowing. Perhaps he should have asked more questions, about how the Dark Claws knew about that night back in Asakusa, how they knew Teikou had taken Tetsu, and just where to find him now. But Daiki’s mind only cared about two things—survival and protecting his kids. 

Ryouta was an able partner, copying Daiki’s fighting techniques and slicing through other vampires with ease. They were in tandem like the coven members they were, but perhaps the credit should have gone to Akashi, who paired them and taught them how to battle together. 

They missed the one Dark Claw who slipped over the back fence until Shige let out a strangled cry. Daiki pivoted, seeing the vampire in a blanketing hood lift Tetsu’s chin. He spoke directly into Tetsu’s eyes, and despite their wide, frightened display, Tetsu seemed to listen to the vampire, getting to his feet as Daiki lunged. The hooded vampire shifted then, taking Tetsu by the neck and holding him a headlock.

The weird part was, Tetsu was facing him, not Daiki. 

“Move, Aomine Daiki-kun, and I will snap his neck.”

Daiki skidded to a stop, and a second later, Ryouta pressed against his back, his shoulders rising and falling with each gasped breath. He’d keep the others at bay while Daiki dealt with more pressing matters.

“Tetsu,” he ignored the vampire completely. “It’s okay, Tetsu. It’s going to be okay.”

“Kuroko-kun.” The hooded vampire’s voice slithered uncomfortably into Daiki’s ear as he looked directly down at Tetsuya. “Take the dagger from my belt, slice your wrist, and feed me your blood.”

“Tetsu!” Daiki couldn’t believe what he was seeing as Tetsu’s trembling hand fumbled under the man’s cloak and then came away with the dagger. “Tetsu! Don’t—”

Springing forward, Daiki felt as if he’d been punched in the gut when Tetsu slit his own wrist. Even a few feet away, his alluring and strong scent almost overwhelmed Daiki, and if he hadn’t known Tetsu, if he didn’t force himself to remember that night he’d found Tetsu hanging and bleeding in the clutches of the Dark Claws—he might have been tempted to drink.

But he wasn’t. Not from Tetsu. Never from Tetsu, but Tetsu offered the bleeding appendage to the vampire’s lips. A basketball slammed to the back of the vampire’s head, stopping him from drinking, and the hooded figure swiveled toward Shige with a venomous hiss. When Shige retreated a half-step, Daiki lunged forward, tearing Tetsuya from his hold and scraping his claws across the vampire’s cheek. 

The vampire stumbled backward, clutching his face, as Daiki clamped the slumping Tetsu against his side. “I will kill you,” Daiki vowed. 

The vampire glanced toward Shige, who tripped over his own feet, but then Ryouta was there, catching him and keeping him close. Daiki didn’t need to look to know the rest of the vampires had been taken care of. 

The hooded vampire’s pale lips edged into a scarring smirk, and he brayed. “But how will you kill me when you, yourself, will be dead? Kuroko-kun, kill him.”

Tetsu shifted at Daiki’s side. Tears streamed from his wide and frantic eyes as he fought against the command, his hand shaking violently, but Daiki effortlessly caught Tetsu’s wrist. He freed the dagger from Tetsu’s hold before clutching Tetsu by the shoulders, bending down to see into his eyes and shake him. 

“Tetsu! Tetsu!” When Tetsu’s eyes finally met his, he saw the utter devastation left in the hooded vampire’s wake. “Snap out of it!”

And Tetsu did. He shivered before crumbling to the ground, clutching his own shoulders and dispelling the milkshake he ate for lunch at Teikou Tower. 

Daiki simply bent down, running a hand through his wet hair as Tetsu finished, then accepted the towel Ryouta retrieved from their bags and pressed it against Tetsu’s dripping wound. He glanced back at Ryouta, whose eyes were wide with desire at the scent of Tetsu’s blood, but he made no attempts to feed. He was Teikou, a protector of the Pure, and held affection for Tetsu as deep as Daiki did. 

But Tetsu flinched and stammered, “D-Daiki-san, I-I’m—I don’t know what—I didn’t—want...” His hands curled into fists as he knelt in front of Daiki, spouting nothing less than the sincerest apology. “Daiki-san, I—”

There was no other response but to gather Tetsu into his arms and press a gentle kiss against his temple. “I know. I know, Tetsu.” 

As Tetsu sobbed into Daiki’s chest, clutching Daiki’s shirt like the lifeline it was, Daiki shared a concerned look with Ryouta, who held a shivering Shige at his side. Vampire bodies littered the court, but the hooded bastard was gone. 

A set-back but ultimately, that was all it was. Daiki would one day tear the bastard’s head from his body. 

He muttered against Tetsu’s mop, “Dibs.”

Of course, Ryouta understood him perfectly. “No fair, Aominecchi!”

No one messed with Tetsu, the purest kid the world, and lived. Daiki would make sure of it. 

_To Be Continued..._


	8. First Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! A few people voiced concern, so I wanted to clarify - Seijuro hasn't bitten and drank from Tetsuya. Haizaki was just trying to get Seijuro to let him drink and figured Seijuro had. But Seijuro hadn't, so that gave Seijuro even more reason to boot him from Teikou. Thanks!

_Now_

Seijuro liked to spoil Tetsuya. Perhaps it was the absolute joy that brightened Tetsuya’s face and threatened to manifest in one of those rare, beautiful smiles. Perhaps Seijuro relished those smiles and wanted nothing more than to be the cause of them. Perhaps, when Tetsuya was happy, the entire coven seemed so much more than just a coven but an actual family, and the bonds between the coven members strengthened ever more so. 

So anytime he went away, Seijuro brought Tetsuya something back. Sparkles from the Fae. A claw from the werewolves. A special book from a clan’s ancient collection. This trip was no different. 

When Seijuro opened the door to Tetsuya’s chambers, the young Pure continued reading the book using Nigou’s body as a backrest. Nigou’s snout rested on one of Tetsuya’s thighs while his tail brushed against the other, and Tetsuya absentmindedly stroked his reclaimed wolf’s head. It was an endearing sight, one that Seijuro indulged until Tetsuya’s emotionless voice managed to sound cold and dismissive. 

“Leave, Daiki-san. In order to live up to the teenage rebellious expectations, I must insist that I do not want to talk to you.”

Seijuro smirked. He couldn’t help the amusement that found his voice. “Then I will make sure to tell Daiki of your insistence.”

Tetsuya whipped about so fast that Nigou picked his head up and growled in his direction. “Akashi-san! I-I did not expect you.”

Seijuro entered then, walking in a slow deliberate stride, so as not to startle the wolf, and dropped a brown paper bag at the bed’s foot. “Your pet wolf is not the only present I brought you.”

“Dog,” Tetsuya corrected, carefully uncurling the top of the paper bag. “He is an Alaskan Malamute.”

Nigou’s jaw tightened, and his top lip pulled back to reveal his massive teeth. As if Tetsuya felt his agitation, he reached out to pet Nigou’s head again, and the dog relaxed under his touch. Quite an adorable sight. 

“They were harder to find than I thought,” Seijuro explained as Tetsuya glanced inside the bag, and a soft, barely noticeable smile found the mortal’s lips, “but Atsushi’s knowledge of treats is unparalleled.”

“Thank you, Akashi-san.” He opened a pack of the Vanilla Bean Kit-Kats and offered a set to Seijuro.

Seijuro obliged, taking a seat next to Tetsuya and biting down on one of the bars. When Nigou began to growl again, Seijuro offered a hand, allowing the wolf to sniff it before tentatively licking the tips. The vanilla bean flavor on the finger pads might have helped Seijuro; he doubted the beast suddenly took a likening to him. 

“How did you manage to get Nigou away from Taiga-kun?” Tetsuya asked between bites. “Don’t tell me he just gave Nigou to you.”

There was a certain disdain in Tetsuya’s voice, like he could almost believe that was the case. 

Seijuro shook his head. “If I saw Taiga, I believe we would have had more to discuss than custody of your wolf, but Nigou was home alone, pacing in the front of the door. Once I explained the situation to him, he simply followed me here.”

“On a metal chain.”

“Perhaps ‘followed’ is not the correct terminology.”

Tetsuya’s smile was a precious sight as Seijuro sat back on the bed and ruffled Nigou’s fur, which if the waving tongue was any indication, the wolf thoroughly enjoyed. That was one of the werewolves’ best and worst traits. They were fiercely loyal, and once they accepted someone in their pack—or as an owner, as was the case with Tetsuya—they never betrayed him. They would follow that person or the pack down a path to Hell, which caused some issues during the war and which was why it was so important to have Tatsuya and Atsushi up in Akita. Both inspired great loyalty, Tatsuya with his kind demeanor, Atsushi with his straightforward nature.

“Tatsuya-san told you why he gave me Nigou,” Tetsuya said, a statement rather than a question. “I miss him a great deal. Taiga-kun does as well.”

When Nigou flipped over, Seijuro’s hand joined Tetsuya’s on the wolf’s fluffy stomach; much to Seijuro’s surprise, the beast just panted and whimpered with delight. “Tatsuya and Taiga know each other from America?”

Tetsuya nodded. “Tatsuya-san is Taiga-kun’s brother—not by birth but by sensei. They spent many years during their youth together, protected by Alex-san. She is practically their mother.”

“Alex?” 

“A vampire from America. She is quite talented in basketball and killing.”

Seijuro sent the sweatband around Tetsuya’s wrist a pointed glare. “Is she the one who bit you?”

Tetsuya unconsciously gripped his wrist, setting it protectively upon his thigh. “No.”

When Tetsuya offered no other explanation, Seijuro frowned. He followed his instincts and took Tetsuya’s hand in his own. Time and battles roughened the skin, hardening it with callouses and scars, telling Seijuro tales he hesitated to hear. Uncurling Tetsuya’s tight fist, he skimmed down the warm, mortal hand to the wrist and with a delicate touch, lifted the cloth to see the harmed flesh. 

The dual marks had aged, darkening to light, pink and brown scars that inflicted Seijuro with an acute pain in his chest. Just the thought of someone taking advantage of Tetsuya, sinking their teeth into his veins and feeding on the precious blood, curled Seijuro’s own hands about Tetsuya’s wrist. Even the sadistic Dark Claws had never bitten Tetsuya. They’d known the precious treasure they captured and bleed him through other means, but Teikou—Seijuro told himself—took care of Tetsuya. They never allowed him to be harmed. Seirin had failed.

“Tell me who did this,” Seijuro demanded, but Tetsuya reclaimed his hand, holding it close to his body. 

“No.”

“Tetsuya—” 

“It doesn’t concern you, Akashi-san.” Tetsuya snatched his band from Seijuro’s knee and fit it over his wrist. “Please do not ask me again.”

Seijuro’s pride got the best of him as he snatched Tetsuya’s chin and raised his startled gaze until Tetsuya’s blue eyes trembled, fearing what Seijuro would demand of him. And it was that fear that defused all of Seijuro’s fight. His touch grew gentle, and he brushed the back of his hand along Tetsuya’s jaw. 

“I would like you to tell me who harmed you.”

“So you may kill them.”

“I prefer the term slay, as I believe the clans do, but yes. I wish to kill the offending party.”

“Jealous?” Tetsuya teased. 

_Yes._

Seijuro blinked. He wasn’t actually sure where that came from, but yes, he wanted no one else to touch Tetsuya, to feed on him, to put their mouth anywhere near Tetsuya’s skin. 

He didn’t say anything, but Tetsuya was so perceptive. He always seemed to know what Seijuro was thinking, so it didn’t surprise Seijuro when Tetsuya snatched his hand and held it. “It is not what you believe.”

“They bit you, Tetsuya. They bit you and didn’t even have the decency to clean the wound with their salvia, which would have stopped any scar from forming. Instead, they left the mark as some sort of trophy upon your skin, as if they have claimed the only known Pure and wished to flaunt that fact to every other vampire.” When Tetsuya averted his eyes, Seijuro brought him back with one stroke of his cheek. “They deserve to be gutted, and their hearts dug from their—”

Seijuro blinked, his hand upon Tetsuya’s tightening. His voice fell to a whisper, but his dual-colored eyes sharpened. “Tetsuya, Reo didn’t harm you.”

The question was certain in this voice, but Tetsuya squeezed one of Seijuro’s hand with both of his. “No, Akashi-san, he didn’t.”

“Then what happened?” Seijuro asked, ignoring Nigou’s cold, wet snout that laid across their hands. When Tetsuya frowned, ready to rebuff again, Seijuro asked, “Why won’t you tell me?”

About the bite. About Reo. About everything. 

Instead, Tetsuya glanced away but quickly looked back, something strong yet vulnerable in his gaze. “Akashi-san, have you ever regretted making me a part of this coven?”

“Do remember when I gave you some of my blood to drink?” 

“And lied and said it would protect me from the Dark Claws and the supernatural races,” Tetsuya added. 

“It was not a lie,” Seijuro defended. “Being a bonded member of our coven afforded you augmented strength and an emotional link to us, which would have allowed you to endure even if injured in battle.”

“Which you never allowed.”

“You were— _are_ —a child, Tetsuya.”

“I’m nineteen, Akashi-san, not twelve anymore.”

Seijuro laughed. “I am quite aware, Tetsuya.”

He then bit the side of his cheek, tasting the metallic flavor dripping into his mouth, and brushed Tetsuya’s warm jaw. He took advantage of Tetsuya’s uncertain look and lunged, pressing his lips against Tetsuya’s and forcing his way into the mortal’s mouth. As Tetsuya’s hands fisted in the sheets, he let out a strained whine but didn’t pull away.

Nigou’s warning growl sounded low but fierce, and Seijuro only lifted his eyes, making brief contact with the wolf. His intense expression threatened better than any words could, rendering Nigou inert. 

The rapidly re-forming bond drained Seijuro—and the rest of Teikou—of their emotions, tugging the uncertainty, fear, and elation from their bodies and offering them to Tetsuya in one blinding surge of love and power. Then, as if providing his own offering to the coven, Tetsuya’s emotions flowed through their bodies, warming them after years of being cold.

This was different than the first time he bonded Tetsuya to Teikou, an innocent exchange between adult and child. This time, Seijuro reveled in Tetsuya’s addictive body heat and physically felt the bond regrow and strengthen as Tetsuya’s mouth went slack. His groin pressed upward, seeking Seijuro’s own coolness, and then Tetsuya wrapped his arms about Seijuro’s neck. As Seijuro received Tetsuya’s overwhelming emotions, he felt everything Tetsuya was willing to give—and then nothing but affection and love. He waded in it, surrendering to Tetsuya’s hold as he delved deeper into their shared embrace. 

Tetsuya’s lips were soft and plush, his skin smooth and warm, but their kiss was awkward, eager, and sloppy. No doubt, Tetsuya was innocent in the art of carnal pleasures, and Seijuro relished in the knowledge. There were quite a few things he was looking forward to teaching Tetsuya. 

Seijuro eventually broke their hold to look down upon his shocked partner. His own crimson leaked from the corner of Tetsuya’s mouth, and the mortal’s hair was a mess, disheveled but adorable, spiky in every direction. His eyes were wide and glistening, dazed with arousal, and he lay motionless on the bed, rugged breaths heaving his chest and blowing out his parted lips. 

Seijuro had to stop himself from laughing and climbed off of Tetsuya before handing him a tissue. When Tetsuya didn’t attempt to grab it, he wiped the corner of the younger man’s mouth himself. 

“I assume that answers your question,” Seijuro said. 

Before Tetsuya could respond, Ryouta dashed into the room, grabbed Tetsuya by the waist, and threw him over his shoulder. “Movie night!” he shouted as he left, as if that excused his actions. Nigou barked and leapt from the bed, following like the loyal wolf pup he was. 

Seijuro blinked, still able to feel the pressure of Tetsuya’s swollen and alluring lips upon his own. He allowed himself a few minutes to process, commit the warm sensation to memory, and then stood, energized by the feeling of the bond between Teikou and Tetsuya reconstructing. 

He began to wonder how he’d ever survived without it. 

*^*^*

_Year Two_

Daiki knew the risks of transporting Tetsu with an open wound, but he refused to taste Tetsu’s blood or lick his skin. He’d seen how Seijuro’s eyes changed, how they sometimes glittered gold when they looked upon Tetsu with a feverish hunger, and though he didn’t want that unquenchable desire, he refrained for a more selfish reason. 

Seijuro had marked Tetsu upon their first meeting, and though it was to save Tetsu, the leader of Teikou had claimed the mortal for himself with his saliva and scent. It was worse than poor manners for another vampire to feed upon a marked mortal; it was akin to how humans view their intimate relations. Daiki wouldn’t dare place his taste and scent upon Tetsu, fearful of his own life. 

He and Ryouta texted the rest of the Teikou members as they treated Tetsu’s wound as best they could. Atsushi showed up first, surprisingly, and escorted Shige home while Ryouta and Daiki took Tetsu to the tower. On the way, they were joined by Satsuki and Shintarou, the latter who hmphed at their “complete lack of competence in the medical arts,” but couldn’t do much better without sterile equipment.

They managed to reach Teikou Tower with only one attack by a single vampire, one accosting by group of fangirls—which Ryouta distracted with a glittery smile and some churros—and one unfortunate incident with a rickshaw that almost hit Tetsu, though that could be accredited to the lack of presence Tetsu seemingly had with humans. 

Daiki always found that funny. Tetsu drew vampires, the Fae, and werewolves to him, but humans couldn’t see him most of the time. 

Seijuro was the last to arrive at the Teikou, even after Atsushi, but he bowed to Tetsu, offering a formal request to close the wound. 

Tetsuya hesitated but nodded nonetheless. When he offered his arm, there was no fear in his eyes but clear, unbridled trust for Seijuro and the coven, and Seijuro accepted the wet appendage like a precious gift. He ducked his head again before thoroughly lapping up the weeping crimson with soft, gentle glides of his tongue. Again and again his tongue slid over the wound, spreading his healing salvia along the torn skin until he cleaned the red off of the white. His eyes were no longer crimson but an orange mix, and once there was no semblance of blood remaining, he bared his teeth, ready to impale the plush flesh with his fangs. 

Daiki was already moving—what the hell was Seijuro doing!—but then he slammed into something hard and larger—or two somethings. Before him stood Shintarou on the left and Atsushi on the right. “Oi! Midorima, Murasakibara, what the—” 

“Akashi.” Midorima’s voice was stern, reproachful. 

Seijuro froze, hand still clutching Tetsu’s arm, but his eyes were wide and shocked. The venomous yellow seeped back into the gentle crimson, and he retreated, a step back, though his hands slid over Tetsu’s arm as if to check the skin for himself. Once he reassured himself of its unspoiled quality, he squeezed Tetsu’s hands in his own. “Are you alright, Tetsuya? Are you hurt elsewhere?”

“I am fine, Sei-san.” He squeezed back. “Daiki-san and Ryouta-kun were amazing.”

Daiki opened his mouth to interject, but Seijuro tugged on one of Tetsu’s thicker bangs. “Daiki said there was a hooded vampire, and he commanded you to hurt yourself.” When Tetsu glanced away, Seijuro tugged on his hair again, bringing his eyes back. “Did you know that vampire?”

This time, Tetsu didn’t look away, though his eyes darkened and his lids drooped. “Yes.” Seijuro didn’t need to say anything else. He continued to play with Tetsu’s hair, brushing back the bangs in a soothing manner until Tetsu found the strength to continue. “His name is Shirogane Eiji. He’s the head of the Dark Claws.”

Shirogane? It wasn’t possible…was it? Daiki glanced at Ryouta, who seemed to understand the significance of the name, even if he hadn’t been part of Teikou when Daiki joined. 

Seijuro was patient, coaxing, as his fingers danced across Tetsu’s jaw. “Shirogane is a dangerous vampire. Tetsuya. We are grateful for your strength during what must have been a difficult time.” 

Tetsu squeezed a hand but ultimately offered no other reply, so Daiki pushed between Shintarou and Atsushi to sit on the medical bed beside Tetsu and pull him into a one-arm hug. “ ‘ey, Tetsu. It’s all right. You’re safe here. You know that, right?”

“You have nothing to fear from us,” Seijuro encouraged, cradling one of Tetsu’s hands in his own. “We will always protect you. You are one of us now. You are Teikou.”

That seemed to have the most impact upon Tetsu, whose eyes sparkled when he looked to Daiki and then Seijuro for confirmation. It was Atsushi who broke through Tetsu’s funk, though. He left and returned in mere moments, carrying a vanilla milkshake he made earlier that evening. He always made a fresh batch every evening, and Tetsu wandered out of his room with his ridiculous bedhead the moment the blender stopped. Atsushi ruffled his hair like it was a precious treat, and perhaps to Murasakibara it was. 

And so when he offered the drink to Tetsu now, Tetsu’s eyes lit with an unaltered gratitude that hurt Daiki’s heart, but there was a sadness still that lingered in them. “I can’t say. Please do not ask me, Sei-san.”

“Tetsuya—”

Tetsu’s hands shook; tears glistened in his eyes. “Please,” he practically begged. “Do not ask me again.”

Shintarou stepped forward, forcibly lifting up Tetsu’s chin to glare into his eyes. “Did Shirogane order you not to speak about your time with him?”

Tetsu shivered but looked unbelievably relieved as he nodded. “Yes—I—” but then he ducked his head again, his bangs falling across what Daiki could only assume were shameful eyes. 

But Seijuro was there, tipping his eyes upward this time. “It is nothing to be embarrassed about, Tetsuya. All mortals and even supernatural races are susceptible to the control of vampires, and creatures such as yourself are bred to be servants to our kind.”

By the cringe on Tetsu’s face, Daiki knew he didn’t appreciate the horrible truth.

“The only way to override Shirogane’s command would be for one of us to become your dominant master,” Seijuro explained, “and to do that, we’d need to bite you and leave a mark, impressing upon you our power and command.”

Daiki tightened his hold upon Tetsu’s shoulders as Tetsu trembled suddenly, his eyes wide and fearful. Ryouta was there in a heartbeat, Atsushi as well, and even Shintarou clamped a hand upon Seijuro’s shoulder. Satsuki simply captured Tetsuya in a soul-squeezing hold. 

They would stand against Seijuro if need be, but Daiki didn’t really fear, especially when Seijuro replied sincerely, “We would never dream of such a thing, Tetsuya. You are ours, equally and generously. We will continue to protect you, even if it leads to war with the Dark Claws.”

“I—I don’t want you to fight,” Tetsu whispered. “You’re my family, and I don’t want you hurt on my account.”

“And so instead you want us to feed you to the other races?” Daiki interjected. “Not happening, Tetsu.”

Shintarou swept Tetsu’s now healed appendage up to examine it himself. “It is unwise tactically. There is no doubt your blood possesses unique attributes to give vampires augmented strength, even more so than their usual superhuman capabilities. If we were to give you to the other side, it would lead to their dominance. Plus, both the Fae and the werewolves have some interest in you, and as of yet, we do not know what affect your blood has upon them. And if it is true that you can actually turn vampires human again, then you could lead to the end of our species as we know it—or at least, be used as a tool for the Dark Claws to subdue their enemies.”

Once he assessed for himself that Tetsu was, in fact, healed, Shintarou straightened his back to be met with five bitter stares. 

“What?” he demanded. “I speak the truth.”

“Your bedside manner needs a little work, Midorimacchi,” Ryouta muttered. 

“Mmm. Mido-chin needs to be nicer to Kuro-chin.”

Shintarou grunted. “I _was_ nice. I was explaining to him why we would never give him to the other side.”

“He is a part of Teikou,” Satsuki defended. “He needs no other reason than that.”

Tetsu didn’t, if the look of pure relief upon his face was any indication. He glanced at every member of Teikou before dipping his head to hide his expression under his bangs. The conviction and feeling in his voice was evident, however. “Thank you…everyone.”

Daiki barely reclaimed his arm before Ryouta and Satsuki smothered Tetsu, crying about how it must have been scary living with Shirogane, and they wished he could tell them about it, so he didn’t have to carry the burden alone. Daiki, too, felt bad about that, but Tetsu was one strong little bastard. And he was a member of Teikou, which alone would provide him all the strength and reassurance he needed. 

If he needed more, Tetsu always knew where to find Daiki, and more than once he crashed in Daiki’s quarters on the extra futon. After all, Tetsu was a child—barely twelve—and compared to them, he was practically an infant. 

Daiki ruffled Tetsu’s hair and tried to get him enough space to breathe, but he eventually gave up when he heard Shintarou mutter, “You can’t be serious.”

Seijuro crossed his arms and watched the scene with Tetsu wearing a somber frown. “We have no choice. It’s not safe out there anymore. We simply cannot afford to let him out of the Tower again, at least not until the war is over.”

“But it hasn’t been declared—”

“What was today if not for the first battle? Or perhaps the first battle was when we acquired Tetsuya?” Seijuro shook his head. “The Dark Claws have made their move, Shintarou. We must act accordingly.”

Daiki agreed, even if it pained him to think Saturdays with Shige were gone, and Tetsu, who smiled alongside Satsuki and Ryouta, would be confined to a cage of their own making. Granted, it would be a cage with all the modern luxuries the coven could afford, but a cage nonetheless. 

“That’s not what’s most disturbing,” Shinatrou said, watching the touching scene along with Daiki and Seijuro was. “Shirogane should have marked Kuroko as his personal servant, made him a mindless slave for the Dark Claws. He had ample opportunity. Why didn’t he?” 

*^*^*  
 _Now_

Tetsuya found it hard to concentrate on the movie with the unfathomable weight of Seijuro’s cool lips still tingling upon his. He remembered the rush of emotion through his system, paralleling but not overpowering Taiga’s confusion as he, too, must have felt the reforming bond between Tetsuya and Teikou. 

And Tetsuya wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He thought Teikou had broken its collective bond, severed their ties and disbanded the coven, but instead, the members of Teikou retained their visceral connection. Even apart, they fought together, their united strength feeding their individual power, and though they joined separate covens, they were still Teikou. 

He’d been the only one to leave. 

But Seijuro forced him without a choice, forced his way into Tetsuya’s mouth, and though Tetsuya hadn’t fought him about swallowing, he had been taken so off guard, he wasn’t sure what was happening until the taste of blood slid across his tongue. Something inside him missed that alluring chill the last five years and wanted Seijuro closer, tighter, yes! And now—he was once again a part of the coven, and this wasn’t just a movie night. It was a celebration of his return home. 

Ryouta threw Tetsuya onto the couch, shoved a milkshake in his hand, and told him not to move while the others filtered into the room. No one objected when Kazunari curled up next to Shintarou while Daiki took a seat on the other side of Tetsuya with Satsuki sitting on the floor next to him, Nigou snuggling against her and enjoying her petting. 

Seijuro was the last to arrive, and after grabbing a bowl of tofu soup, he sat down near Atsushi, slurping loudly as the movie began.

Tetsuya wasn’t even sure what the movie was about and only remembered the cool sensation of Seijuro’s lips—like winter’s breath dancing across his tongue, demanding his warm breath and perhaps even his soul in retribution for their years apart. 

Seijuro was always somewhat of an enigma to Tetsuya. They’d been close, perhaps as close as anyone in Teikou, but Seijuro’s warm red eyes always seemed to glow in Tetsuya’s presence, like they were the hottest layers of the sun rather than the dark crimson of spilt blood. The yellow duality he saw now frightened him, but not the way he suspected it did most. The change had come because of him, and he wasn’t sure he could always deny Seijuro what he rightfully deserved for welcoming Tetsuya into Teikou.

For saving his life that day, for trying to save the coven and despite having the power to, not using it. 

And because of that, Seijuro had suffered, losing himself and the only family he’d known. 

How could Tetsuya make amends for such cruelty?

Instead, he accepted the fortunate curse of Seijuro’s constant gaze, but it eventually took its toll upon him. His eyes drooped, his head heavy, and Tetsuya found the comfortable spot in Daiki’s lap he’d occupied as a child. His feet took refuge in Ryouta’s, and he fell asleep to the constant ministrations of Daiki’s cool fingertips brushing his hair. 

But he didn’t dream. He drifted. 

It wasn’t unusual for Taiga to pull Tetsuya to him. Tetsuya subconsciously did the same, especially when they were apart and in stressful situations. It was an automatic soothing agent, knowing you were no longer alone and your best friend was only a thought away. But today, Tetsuya’s presence alone couldn’t mollify Taiga’s desperation. Taiga was going to die, and he knew it. 

With his back pressed against a column of Sensoji, Kagami glanced out at the bustling streets of Asakusa district before he ducked a swipe from a vicious claw and kicked the vampire in the gut. Panting, he took off onto the pathways leading to the shrine as Tetsuya heard the ominous hiss, “You cannot escape the Meikou Coven, Kagami Taiga!”

Even at top condition, Taiga couldn’t outrun a sired vampire, and a pureblooded one could stop him in the time it took to breathe. But the Meikou Coven wasn’t bonded, were mostly sired vampires, and hadn’t been seen as top combaters for any power amongst the supernatural races. 

Then why were they after Taiga?

Guilt immediately seized Tetsuya. If Taiga was in Asakusa, he no doubt was there looking for Tetsuya. He knew all the intimate details of Tetsuya’s life and must not have known where else to look—other than the Tower.

Taiga rushed past the Asakusa Shrine, probably on his way toward Tobu Asakusa Station or to get lost in the eight floors of Matsuya Department Store, but he’d never make it, not with so many innocents wandering the busy streets of the covered shopping arcades. Taiga was too kind hearted. He’d never put another being in danger, which was probably why he was alone instead of with Hyuga or Kiyoshi. 

Taiga wasn’t a member of Teikou, who had believed the only way to survive was separated and alone. Taiga had Tetsuya, and they were stronger together than they ever were apart. 

But Taiga was alone because Tetsuya was in Teikou Tower, and though Taiga never slowed his all-out dash, it wouldn’t be enough. Tetsuya felt the cool touch of the vampires upon the back of Taiga’s neck, as he lent his own senses to Taiga, and his brother ducked into the next alley he came to. Of course, Meikou descended upon him from either side, cutting off the exit routes for the sweating and thoroughly exhausted slayer. 

“You should have known better than to wander into Meikou Territory, little slayer,” one hissed, extending his claws as he crept flower. 

Tetsuya heard Taiga’s snort like he was there at his partner’s side. No one had ever called Taiga “little” before. “Let me know once I get there, will you? Because last time I checked, Meikou held no territory.”

The head vampire stepped into the dull light of the apartments, and Tetsuya sent Taiga his concern, though he tried to keep the true force of his fear from their connection. The vampire’s eyes glistened with a sick, yellowish glow—like Seijuro’s one eye. 

“Haven’t you heard, Seirin Slayer?” the vampire taunted, and Taiga flicked out his silver dagger from his light over jacket. “The Dark Claws own everything.”

They lunged then, and an acute searing tore through Tetsuya’s stomach as he felt the first claw scrap across Taiga’s torso. He fought against his own uselessness, struggling to scream, to hold Taiga, and fight for him, when Taiga’s desperation tumbled into despair. 

Tetsuya heard only one thing through their bond. _Tetsu, I’m sorry._

He woke up with a silent scream tearing his throat raw.

“Tetsu?” Daiki called, tired and wondering as Tetsuya stumbled off the couch and through the darkened corridors. He heard nothing but the pounding in his ears, felt nothing but the frantic beat of his own heart. His body was physically tired, as if he drained from a battle he didn’t fight, but as the front door came into his view, an invisible force cut at his limbs like chains, keeping him from the outside world. 

Seijuro ordered him not to leave the tower. As a Pure, he had no choice but to listen to the commands of a vampire, especially one in his coven, and desperate tears burned his cheeks. He collapsed to his knees, cursing his own limitations, as he leaned on his elbows, fighting a battle he could never win. 

But he needed to. He’d never give up. Taiga needed him, and he would move heaven and Earth to be by his side. 

“Kurokocchi?” Ryouta’s strained voice shook. Cold hands clutched his shoulders.

“Tetsu, what’s wrong?” Daiki. 

The sobs came so violently that they choked his throat as he felt Taiga’s life force drain. Seijuro knelt before him, mercilessly blocking his path. “Tetsuya, what’s—”

“ _Ta—Ta-iga…_ ”

A set of claws slashed through Tetsuya’s shirt, freeing the right shoulder of cloth. His blood seal burned, he realized now, but it was nothing compared to the searing in his heart. 

Shintarou’s soft hand ghosted over Tetsuya’s stain. “You’ve been blood bonded to Kagami Taiga, haven’t you? And he’s been attacked? Is he injured?” 

Tetsuya’s lips quivered as he pressed his forehead against the hardwood floor. “ _Please. He’s dying. I have to save him._ ” He squeezed shut his eyes and forced his protesting body to move another inch closer to the door. “ _Please…_ ”

“Who has Kaga-chin?” Atsushi asked, his large coming down to ruffle Tetsuya’s soft locks. “Who do I need to crush?

“ _Meikou. Dark Claws._ ” He couldn’t get anything else out. 

“That makes no sense,” Ryouta wondered. “The Dark Claws were wiped out. You’re wrong, Kurokocchi.”

He wasn’t. 

“And anyway, Akashicchi, don’t you have Rakuzan watching Kagamicchi?”

“He must have evaded them. Tetsuya seems to be sharing his shadow qualities with his mortal partner.”

“Taiga-kun is dying.” He raised his head to glare directly into Seijuro’s patient, if not widened, eyes. He forced his voice to remain steady. “ _I need to go. Release the order._ ”

Seijuro’s eyes darkened. “Tetsuya—”

“ _Release the order!_ ”

Stunned silence overtook the group. Never had any of them heard such a vehement request from Tetsuya, and Seijuro replied in kind, eyes staring straight into Tetsuya’s soul. “You may leave Teikou Tower.”

The breath he didn’t know he’d been holding released; the heavy pressure in his chest shattered. 

He ran. 

_To Be Continued…_


	9. Kuro-chin is Aka-chin's Muro-chin

_Year Three_

From Ogiwara-kun:  
>>>Any word yet?

Tetsuya snapped shut his phone without replying and bowed his head as if praying to a higher power. His legs had long lost any feeling, heavy and limp, as he knelt upon the floor before the penthouse’s two-story window. He took to staring through it like the caged pet he sometimes thought he was, and the world was brilliant and shimmering, especially at night. On some nights, Tetsuya enjoyed shoving his face against the cool glass and watching the world revolve around him below. 

Tonight was not one of those nights. 

Seijuro received a call from a member of an allied coven, Mibuchi Reo of Rakuzan. The Dark Claws’ attacks were coming more frequently and finishing with more bloodshed, if the draw upon the coven’s bond and the crimson upon Teikou’s clothes and pale skin meant anything. Even now, Tetsuya felt tired—no, weakened, like Teikou’s collective power was faltering from a long, hard-fought battle. 

But Daiki had ruffled Tetsu’s as he left, wearing his usual exuberant smile. “Don’t wait up, Tetsu! We’ll be back before the sun rises.”

He lied. Tetsuya watched helplessly as the comfort of night slowly drowned in the abhorrent dawn, and when the sun claimed the Tokyo skyline, Tetsuya bent forward, pressing his forehead against the cool hardwood floor and tightening his arms about his stomach. The tears stained tracks down his flushed cheeks. 

The warmth of the sun was a painful sensation, but even though he could endure it, vampires—his family—could not. 

*^*^* 

_Now_

Kuro-chin’s hair was as soft and fluffy as cotton candy, and that gentle, small smile that somehow brightened his entire face was sweet, too. Kuro-chin usually hesitated to taste Atsushi’s unusual concoctions with an eyebrow raised in derision, but he quickly relented and melted after the first bite with a worshiping bow that always made Atsushi want to claim Kuro-chin as his personal taste-tester. 

It always worried Atsushi that Kuro-chin was so small, and though he’d always been that way to Atsushi, he was small compared to the humans as well. Even now, Kuro-chin was thin and agile as he dashed out of the subway and up the station stairs, Nigou right on his heels. He weaved between humans, who would comment about the quick breeze that passed without ever seeing him. He lived in the shadows—or perhaps the shadows clung to him—as he followed an invisible map of Asakura toward his harmed brother. 

Kagami Taiga. Atsushi’s blood warmed unpleasantly at the thought of someone else marking Kuro-chin. First the vampire who bit Kuro-chin’s wrist and now Kagami, who had carved a blood seal into Kuro-chin’s shoulder. He wanted to stop the Meikou Coven from killing Kagami if for no other reason than he wanted to crush the slayer himself. 

Atsushi doubted Kuro-chin would allow him to, especially since he could feel the faint tugging upon the coven’s bond. Kuro-chin channeled Teikou’s combined strength through his own bond with Kagami, keeping the slayer alive. Atsushi didn’t like that. A coven’s bond was sacred, its members chosen and trusted—by Aka-chin, whom Atsushi trusted. Kagami was an outsider—a slayer no less—and he had no place in their bond. 

Suddenly, Kuro-chin detoured down an alley, jumped onto a fire escape, and hurried to the roof. The coven followed, and when he stood upon the very edge of the building’s roof, looking down into the opposite alley, Aka-chin and Mine-chin stood on either side of him with Kise-chin, Mido-chin, Takao, Nigou and now Atsushi behind him.

From this high up, Atsushi could hear the snarls of Meiko, could smell the rich, alluring scent of fresh blood, and though he wanted to swoop down and drink Kagami’s split blood himself, he could feel the anger and fear radiating from Kuro-chin, who appeared outwardly calm but was anything but. Kuro-chin wanted blood—mainly the stolen blood Meikou had consumed from Kagami—and he would get it. 

For perhaps the first time, Atsushi wondered just how powerful Seirin was. He’d worked with them and bit one of their fiercest warriors—Muro-chin—but it took almost six Meikou vampires to take down one Seirin Slayer. And Kuro-chin, too, was formidable. 

Kuro-chin’s movements were fluid, worthy of his Phantom Slayer’s bloodied title, as his fingers reached up his sleeve and the hilt of a large dagger slipped into his palm. The blade’s brilliant silver glowed in the soft moonlight, and before Atsushi could ask why they waited on the rooftop—he wanted to crush them and return to the tower for some chips—Meiko growled and sniffed toward the rooftop, the glistening silver drawing them like a beacon. 

The momentary disorientation gave Kuro-chin the second he needed, and he jumped off the roof, ridiculously slow compared to Aka-chin and Mine-chin but faster than humans. Using the alley walls as vaults, Kuro-chin made his way to the ground and sliced through the first vampire’s stomach, draining him of blood, before pivoting and cutting off the head of another. 

Part of Atsushi was disturbed watching the sweet, innocent, vanilla-loving Kuro-chin slice through the Meiko Coven with glaciered eyes and smooth sweeps. Another part of him was proud that the sweet, innocent, vanilla-loving Kuro-chin had grown up to become a strong and bloodied slayer, able to battle the likes of the Dark Claws and fight alongside the powerful members of Teiko. 

Under Aka-chin’s quick commands, Kuro-chin and his wolf folded into the Teiko battle strategy, positioned between Kise-chin and Mine-chin, with Takao on his back, and working almost seamlessly with them to combat the Meiko vampires. Perhaps the only drastic change to the formation was Aka-chin, who battled alone now. He tore through vampires, needing only one swipe to end their miserable existence, but most of the time, he took a second one anyway, mutilating a few of the vampires with a hissed, “Kagami Taiga is under the protection of Rakuzan. It will do you well to know that.”

When he finished with one such vampire, he whirled, crimson-streaked and eyes blazing toward the next opponent—only to be stopped by a tumbling Kuro-chin, who swiped past him on his way to the ground, almost as if he’d reached out to stop Aka-chin and missed. 

“Tetsuya!”

“Tetsu!”

“Kurokocchi!”

“Kuroko!”

Kuro-chin held out until the very last Meiko vampire was slain, a testament to Seirin’s conditioning, but he almost passed out afterwards. Atsushi wanted to rush to his side, like Aka-chin, Mine-chin, and Kise-chin, but he currently pressed down upon a gaping wound on Kaga-chin’s side. Mido-chin ordered him to keep working but glanced over at Kuro-chin himself. He seemed pleased when Kuro-chin sported no visual wounds and returned his full attention to Kaga-chin, wiping away some of the dark crimson before cleaning the various cuts and gashes as best he could.

Mido-chin would have licked the wounds closed, but licking, especially for a vampire, was an intimate act, one he did after feeding to cleanse and seal the victim’s wound. To heal a human—or another vampire—using their salvia without feeding would be to mark a human for future meals, though some vampires did that to each other as a form of territorial protection. 

Mido-chin would be marking Kaga-chin as his significant other, and who’d want that?

Wait.

Atsushi leaned closer to Kaga-chin and sniffed. “ ‘ey, Mido-chin?”

“Don’t let up on the pressure to Kagami’s side. That wound looks—”

“Ne, ne, but why does Kaga-chin smell like Mine-chin?”

Kaga-chin groaned and shifted before tensing immediately, a strangled gasp slipping through his clenched teeth. “Tetsuya…” he called, and Atsushi ignored Mido-chin’s command to stay at Kaga-chin’s side. Instead, he crossed the alleyway in two swift steps and swept the still unstable Kuro-chin into his arms. He returned a moment later, placing Kuro-chin down by Kaga-chin, and Kuro-chin’s look of utter relief, despite Kaga-chin’s brutal state, was as precious as limited edition pocky sticks.

It reminded Atsushi of Muro-chin’s softened glances, the ones he reserved for Atsushi and Atsushi alone. 

“Taiga-kun,” Kuro-chin whispered, one hand curling into Kaga-chin’s and clenching, the other cradling Kaga-chin’s badly bruised cheek. Despite his long-sleeved shirt, borrowed from Aka-chin, Tetsu’s shoulder glowed a light red hue, illuminating his blood seal. 

Kaga-chin’s shoulder responded in suit, but instead of red, it burned a cool blue in the shape of star with claws or wings for its points. 

Kaga-chin’s eyes fluttered, barely focusing on Kuro-chin, but his face relaxed, an unconscious smile finding his split lips. “Tetsu…you came.”

“Of course. Unless you know of another person who is going to keep Taiga-kun out of trouble…?”

Kaga-chin tried to laugh, but it came out as a barked cough. At his side, Mido-chin grunted and wrapped a rather nasty gash on Kaga-chin’s arm. “Keep still, Kagami,” he admonished. “I’m trying to save your life, and in case you didn’t know, allow me to reinforce the fact that you are _only_ human.”

“Shin-san says that like it’s a bad thing,” Kuro-chin replied, emotionless in his delivery but his eyes sparkled. 

“To those who could lose their life tonight, perhaps it is.”

“Don’t let him fool you, Taiga,” Mine-chin interjected as he leaned over Tetsu’s kneeling form, a hand upon Tetsu’s disheveled mop. “Midorima is actually jealous. He’d love for Tetsu to come running after him like this.”

“No need!” Takao channeled Kuro-chin’s invisibility and seemingly popped out of nowhere, even though he was dressing Kaga-chin’s leg wounds. “He’s got me!”

“For which I am eternally ungrateful.”

“Aw, come on, Shin-chan! You know you love me.”

Mido-chin hmphed, cheeks tinged pink, but didn’t dispute the claim. 

Muro-chin was bluntly honest like that, too, and thoughtful, bringing Atsushi his favorite snack or a new one to try. He always demanded to join Atsushi on his missions, for Yosen and for Aka-chin, and he liked to lounge around in Atsushi’s big shirts. They reminded Atsushi of a wrapper, which made Muro-chin Atsushi’s very own candy bar, fun to open and delectable to eat.

Which was why when he watched the intimate touch, the natural smiles, the obvious pain being relayed from Kaga-chin to Kuro-chin via their blood seal—Atsushi wasn’t as angry as he had been at Kuro-chin for using the coven’s bond. Because Kaga-chin was Kuro-chin’s Muro-chin. 

But Aka-chin needed one, Atsushi believed, as their leader huffed against the side of the alley, fists clenching and unclenching. He glared at Kaga-chin, eyes glowing a venomous red, and every so often, Aka-chin’s right eye would glimmer with a hint of gold. His face remained stoic but hard, ready to snap like the hook of a candy cane. He wanted to snap. This close to Kaga-chin, the one who took Mibuchi from him, Aka-chin wanted retribution. He wanted to suck Kaga-chin dry, let him feel the blood leaving his body too quickly to be replenished and know he was going to die. He wanted Kaga-chin to feel the fear Mibuchi felt in the last moments of his life—as well as the pain. The crippling pain of being drained completely was known to be the one of the most horrible ways for a human to go. 

But Aka-chin held back, Atsushi saw. One glance at Kuro-chin, and the gold faded from his eye. His body melted like chocolate left on the windowsill. “Daiki, Ryouta,” he called, crisp and strong as the leader of Teikou. “Scout the area. Make sure we aren’t being surrounded. Shinatrou, stabilize Taiga. Atsushi, you’ll be carrying him.”

Aka-chin’s fingers dipped into Kuro-chin’s hair, teasing a few of the shorter strands while a gentle smile found Aka-chin’s face. Oh, so Kuro-chin was Aka-chin’s Muro-chin. 

He could use one of those new red bean Kit-Kats right now. Or a green tea one. Even a strawberry one, just something to last him through the long, tedious job of carrying Kaga-chin back to the tower. Huh. Aka-chin asked him where to buy vanilla bean Kit-Kats for Kuro-chin. 

“Eh, Kuro-chin. Do you have any of those vanilla bean Kit-Kats?”

Kuro-chin’s indulgent gaze never lifted from Kaga-chin’s battered face, even when he replied, “No. I left them at the tower, Atsushi-kun. You may have as many as you’d like when we return.”

He wanted them now, but at least he had something to look forward to. He ignored his sudden craving for cotton candy, however, as he watched Aka-chin trail his fingers through Kuro-chin’s hair. Kuro-chin’s hair always so looked so fluffy and sugary. He’d have to ask Aka-chin later if Kuro-chin tasted as sweet as he looked. 

*^*^*

_Year Three_

Heat. Tetsuya had forgotten the harsh caress of the sun’s rays upon his skin, burning his pale skin a painful crimson. He had forgotten the smell of burgers and grease, forgotten the feel of the subway rumbling under his feet and the overwhelming cacophony that was Tokyo’s streets. He’d forgotten so much of how the outside world appeared since he last set foot in it over a year ago, and a part of him dearly missed the freedom he once felt bounding down the fareways on his way to Ogiwara’s, excited for their weekly basketball game. 

But at the same time, apprehension grew in every step he took away from Teiko Tower. The world seemed overbearing, assaulting his enhanced senses from every angle, and he sought the shadows along the side of the corridors, away from the road, away from the people who might seek his life force.

The humans, for the most part, never noticed him, and despite the rather large population of supernatural races in Tokyo, vampires, werewolves, and Fae were only a powerful but small fraction of the masses. As long as Tetsuya stayed within the sun, only the Fae could harm him during the day. The werewolves would have to keep to their dog or human forms, forbidden from taking their monster shapes, and the vampires couldn’t even brave the light. They’d wither instantly. 

Tetsuya nibbled on his lower lip but hardened his resolve, straightening his back and once more braving the hostile touch of the sun. He wasn’t sure why he left the tower. It was a stupid and futile decision. Even if he found any evidence as to the whereabouts of his coven, he’d probably only find their clothes, Shintarou’s lucky item of the day, and a bag of half-eaten chips from Atsushi. 

He’d find them dead, forsaken to the sun, and there would be nothing he could do to bring them back. 

No, Tetsuya chastised himself. He refused to think that way. Teikou was the strongest coven in all of Tokyo, in all of Japan, most likely. They weren’t gone. He could feel their life forces on a visceral level, vibrating deep within his being. It was almost as if he was connected to them in some way by a tether straight to each member’s soul, and he’d know if they were gone. He’d _feel_ it in a devastating and crippling way that would shatter him beyond repair. They were alive, and he’d find them that way. 

Of course, finding them proved difficult, and eventually, Tetsuya retreated to the one place he wanted to avoid—the streetball court where he’d met Daiki. He used to love playing there, trying and failing to beat Ogiwara before they joined forces to be schooled by Daiki. But no matter how many times they lost, it never felt like a defeat because playing Daiki could never be that. Daiki loved basketball, playing with a smile that split his face and closed his eyes, and he never crushed them, as Atsushi would say. Instead, he encouraged them, taught them new moves, and then celebrated when Ogiwara accomplished them—and Tetsuya didn’t trip over his own feet. 

But then the Dark Claws—Shirogane—ravaged their sanctuary, forcing Daiki and Ryouta into battle and ordering Tetsuya to bleed himself. It pained Tetsuya to think Daiki and Ryouta would die for him, and at the same time, he cherished the thought that others cared for him so much that they were willing to sacrifice themselves for him. 

But he wasn’t worth it, and though Tetsuya’d rather die than return to the Dark Claws and their torturous fangs, he would do anything for Teikou, even give himself to the enemy to save them. 

If he could.

He pressed his face against the cool metal of the basketball hoop pole, sliding down until his knees reached the rocky pavement. Where was his coven? Why couldn’t he find any trace of them? Where could they be?

High-pitched laughter tingled across the abandoned court, joined by the frantic flutter of airy wings. “Well, hello, little one. You seem lost. Perhaps we can help you!”

Tetsuya stiffened at the seemingly joyful voice, so carefree and friendly it could not be mistaken as anything other than kind. It reminded Tetsuya of Ryouta’s way of speaking, though he still felt uneasy as he turned and faced the “flutter” of Fae. Dressed in golds and silvers, sapphires and emeralds, the Fae hovered about the basketball court, men and women alike, as if they refused to dirty their bare feet on the rough surface. Sparkles glistened upon their cheeks while their wings shimmered in the rays of the sun. 

The lead Fae flew forward, her eyes an intoxicating mix of blue and gold. Her voice suddenly sounded like a soft-sounding bell, chiming only for him to hear. 

“You can help us purify our garden, little one. No more vampires, no more werewolves.” She reached out a glistening hand, inches from his cheek. “Only beauty shall remain in this world. Come, little one.” 

Tetsuya wanted to run, wanted to flinch away from her touch, but her eyes—he’d never seen that color before, a mix of the warm dawn and cool dusk skies. 

“Come with us,” she cooed. “Come with us, out the darkness and into the—”

“Tetsuya-kun will have to miss your purifying party. He’s grounded.”

An electrical shock stung the back of Tetsuya’s neck just before a hard hand clasped Tetsuya on his nape, not unlike a mother cat nipping her kitten. Something snapped within Tetsuya, breaking his rapt mystification with the Fae, and blinking, he tried to clear the sudden daze that came over him. He jerked back at the sudden closeness of the Fae, who fluttered practically nose-to-nose with him. The hand upon his neck tightened, and he glanced up to find a dark scowl upon Ryouta’s usually bright and cheerful face. 

“Ryouta-kun!” Tetsuya gasped, relief flooding him instantly. The paralyzing apprehension and unbearable dread of the last few days released in that moment. Ryouta-kun was alive, and Tetsuya nestled against his chest, wrapping his arms about Ryouta’s torso to hear his steady heartbeat, to feel the reassuring cool sensation of the vampire’s skin against his own. 

Ryouta returned the hug briefly, tucking Tetsuya under his chin, before releasing him with a quick pat on the shoulder. Tetsuya held onto his hand, not caring that he felt half his age, as Ryouta stepped in front of him, creating an effective barrier between him and the Fae, between the comfort of night and the terror of day. 

The Fae sneered and retreated, her beautiful face contorted in a miffed pout. “Ryouta-chan should know better than to show his ugly fangs during the day.”

Ryouta squeezed Tetsuya’s hand. “Perhaps my mother should know better than to send her flutter for something that is not rightfully hers.”

“But he is adorable,” the girl Fae flew so close, the wind from her wings ruffled Tetsuya’s hair. “He will be a lovely addition to your mother’s garden, all graceful and beautiful, and he’ll be cherished for all eternity.”

“He is a bonded member of the coven Teikou, of which you will not defile.”

“We do not know of such evil, Ryouta-chan. Fae are gentle beings, kind beings. We bring and maintain the beauty in the world that you enjoy.”

“Neither I nor _Tetsuya-kun_ want anything to do with what the Fae deem beautiful.”

That was the second time Ryouta called him “Tetsuya-kun,” not “Kurokocchi,” and Tetsuya glanced up to see the unkind look upon Ryouta’s now dark face. He appeared fierce, like a true vampire, for perhaps the very first time Tetsuya could remember. 

The girl Fae hmphed in her high-pitched voice. “How can you understand any beauty when you chose the vampires and their violent, abhorrent, grotesque ways?”

“I didn’t choose vampires over the Fae. Akashicchi welcomed me into Teikou when my flutter rejected me, and I am forever grateful for his kindness.” Ryouta pivoted then, securing Tetsuya against his side. He warned with a flash of his claws and a grin with his sharp fangs. “Come on, Tetsuya-kun. Let’s head back to the tower.” 

“You bring your mother unending disappointment,” the girl Fae called after him. “Give us the Pure, and you may return to her favor.”

“Tell my mother to give up the pursuit of Tetsuya-kun, and she may return to mine.”

They walked, Tetsuya tucked under Ryouta’s armpit, as they navigated the suffocating streets of Tokyo. Tetsuya’s heartbeat eventually slowed to its normal pace, but his hand tightened in the front of Ryouta’s shirt as the hopelessness of the last days resurfaced. He thought, he feared that Ryouta and Teikou—

“What were you thinking, Tetsuya-kun?” Ryouta’s voice sounded low, menacing. “You know Akashicchi doesn’t want you out of the tower.”

Was Ryouta reprimanding him? “But you and Teikou didn’t return, Ryouta-kun. I couldn’t stay in the tower and not try to—”

“To what? Put yourself in more danger?” Ryouta admonished, separating himself from Tetsuya to cross his arms. “Don’t you understand what we’ve sacrificed to keep you safe, Tetsuya-kun? How easy it would be to hand you to the werewolves, the Dark Claws, or the Fae?”

Tetsuya stopped on the sidewalk, hands trembling as he stared at the growling Ryouta. 

Ryouta continued, unfettered, “I would be heralded as a hero for bringing you to my mother who would first use you to ‘beautify’ the world by riding it of all the vampires and werewolves. Then she’d place you in garden to be bled and help sustain those she deems too beautiful to kill.”

Tetsuya’s lower lip trembled, and he bit down to stop it. “Ryouta-kun, I know I can never repay you and everyone in Teikou, but—”

“Of course you’d take it the wrong way.” Sighing, Ryouta opened his arms to Tetsuya, who only hesitated for a moment before taking solace within their comforting hold. “I’m sorry, Kurokocchi,” he whispered, “but you have to understand that when we came back and you were gone—”

“Teach me to fight,” Tetsuya demanded, face buried in Ryouta’s shoulder, voice low but conviction set. “I want to fight alongside you and Teikou. I don’t want to be left alone in the tower again, waiting to feel you gone. I want to be there, ensuring Teikou’s victory.”

Ryouta pressed a gentle kiss to Tetsuya’s disheveled mop and muttered, “Akashicchi is not going to approve of that.”

“I’ll ask him myself,” Tetsuya said, lifting his shimmering eyes and smiling at Ryouta’s stunned face. “Sei-san never says no to me.”

“No,” Seijuro decreed less than fifteen minutes later, standing at the threshold of the infirmary, arms crossed over his long-sleeved shirt. His bedraggled hair fell across his red eyes, his expression firm but warm. 

“But Sei-san—”

“But Akashicchi—”

Seijuro sighed, one hand coming to lie upon Ryouta’s shoulder, the other to cradle the side of Tetsuya’s tear-stained face. “Ryouta-kun, we are all grateful that you are half-Fae, which allowed you to brave the day to reclaim Tetsuya. If not, we would have lost him to the Fae today. And Tetsuya—” His eyes hardened as they leveled the young mortal with an unrelenting glower. “You deliberately defied me, left the tower, and were almost harmed by one of our enemies. Your disobedience is something I will neither tolerate nor condone by allowing you to train.”

Tetsuya’s shaking hands snatched Seijuro’s, unable to remain still at his sides. “But Sei-san, I can’t—You expect me to wait here and do nothing when I might be able—”

“—to be used against your will by one of our enemies? Or perhaps even be killed.” Seijuro comforted Tetsuya with soothing swipes of his thumbs. “Tetsuya, you are thirteen years old. You are a child.”

“But I can help. I _want_ to help.”

“And you do. You give us all peace of mind when we know you are safe here, in the tower.” He glanced toward Ryouta. “Isn’t that right, Ryouta?”

“Uh…Yes!” Ryouta added, flinging an arm about Tetsuya’s shoulders in a half-hug. “We’ll do anything to keep you safe.”

“And that is our end goal, Tetsuya, for you to be safe.”

Tetsuya met Seijuro’s eyes, and for a brief moment, he thought he saw Seijuro’s soul bared for him in those crimson pools, vulnerable and frightened and desperate to hold onto him. Then the shields rose again, separating their innermost emotions once more, but Tetsuya gave chase. 

“But Sei-san, who keeps you safe?”

Seijuro smiled then, indulgent and endearing, and ruffled Tetsuys’s hair. “Daiki, Shintarou, Atsushi, Momoi, and Ryouta. We protect each other, Tetsuya. That’s what a coven does, and I promise you. When you get older and stronger, I’ll teach you how to protect us, too.”

Tetsuya’s shoulders slumped, but he nodded nonetheless. 

“Good.” Seijuro tipped his chin up with his knuckle. “Go visit Daiki. He was up in arms after we returned to find you missing, and he almost joined Ryouta without thinking. Lucky for us, he was injured enough for Atsushi to stop him.”

“I-Is everyone all right? From the battle?” He was afraid to know but needed to ask. 

Ryouta nodded. “Nothing Midorimacchi couldn’t tend to, though it would have been easier if you’d been here to help him.”

Guilt immediately swelled in Tetsuya’s gut, and he immediately bowed, “From now on, I’ll be here for Shin-san and all of Teikou whenever they need me. I swear it.”

*^*^*

_Now_

Despite having lived with vampires, fought with werewolves, and braved the gardens of the Fae, Tetsuya never knew a fiercer warrior than Kagami Taiga. Raised on the vicious streets of Los Angeles by a vampire who was like a mother to him and a brother who eventually became a vampire, Taiga grew up with a bloodied hand, having slayed his first vampire by his eighth birthday. Tetsuya, on the other hand, had been bled viciously by Dark Claws and other vampires before being sheltered by Teikou, who only lifted a fang to him once. While Tetsuya knew of the horrors of the supernatural races, Taiga had learned how to combat them, and so Tetsuya reigned in the wild and foolhardy Taiga while Taiga helped to heal the wounds no medic could find. 

Together, they were an unbeatable pair, bearing an unbelievable bond as strong as any coven’s, which was why when Teikou brought Taiga back to the tower, Tetsuya refused to leave his side.

Nigou placed his paws on the edge of the bed, and Tetsuya indulged him, lowering Taiga’s hand for the beast to lick and soothe before laying at Tetsuya’s socked feet. Shintarou also kept him company, though he made excuses that he needed to be near Taiga to check his vitals. He only needed to do that every three hours and changed bandages less frequently. Kazunari fluttered in and out with vanilla milkshakes he guilted Tetsuya to drink. 

“What if Taiga woke up and found you starving yourself? He’d kick your ass the moment he’s well enough. Hell, he could probably do it at half-strength.”

“Thank you, Kazu-kun, for your blunt opinion of my talent and skills as a slayer.”

“Compared to Taiga’s? No offense, Tet-chan, but you’re practically a kitten. He’s a wild tiger.”

Daiki came in and out, too, too flustered by Taiga’s condition to be normal. Tetsuya watched and waited, all too mused by Daiki’s usual concerned demeanor. Taiga told him everything, shared every intimate details of their lives. They had to. Blood seals required nothing less than complete trust in a partner, so there were no secrets between them. 

So Tetsuya knew the truth, had since that first night Kagami became the ace of Touou’s “property.” They spoke very little about the ordeal, especially since Tetsuya knew all the intimate details he wished he didn’t about his older brothers, and when Taiga left for one of his “meetings” with Touou, Tetsuya always remained awake. This way, he hopefully wouldn’t “see” the private details by dream-walking to Taiga’s side and only experience the pleasure Taiga enjoyed. 

Unfortunately, that didn’t always work, and this particular time was one of those moments when it didn’t. 

Ryouta came in a little after noon, probably to convince him to sleep. Rather than hear Ryouta whine and cajole, Tetsuya pretended to already be unconscious and ended up falling asleep in the process. 

He hadn’t prepared himself to feel the demanding pressure of Daiki’s lips against Taiga’s—against his own—their bodies hot and uncomfortable in an alleyway in Tokyo. He never needed to feel the cold sensation of Daiki’s tongue thrust into his mouth or the tingling swipes up his neck, Daiki coating it with his taste and scent in order to protect Taiga, to save Taiga from any vampire who would wish to drink him dry—including Seijuro. 

Tetsuya almost barfed in his mouth when he awoke the next morning having lived it.

An evil thought slipped through Tetsuya’s mind, but he let it go for now. There were more pressing matters to handle at the moment, like Taiga’s health and the Meikou Coven’s connection to the newly reformed Dark Claws. Teikou needed to strategize their next move as they stood on the eve of another supernatural war, again over him. 

Seijuro eventually took a seat next to him, silent yet demanding, but Tetsuya never looked away from Taiga’s hand, which he tucked neatly in his lap. “I was almost killed,” he began without preamble, in a whisper gutted by troublesome memories and helpless emotions. “We were in America, helping a clan to destroy what appeared to be one of the remaining Dark Claw covens. I was careless, and the vampires felt me before I attacked.” He brushed his hands along Taiga’s, then knotted their fingers together in a tight grip. “One caught me in the stomach before Taiga-kun could put him down. I was dying. There was already so much blood, and I could barely move. And Taiga-kun…he never hesitated. He called his brother, who came and performed the ritual. And it was the best thing I ever experienced, not because the pain eased instantly, but…in Teikou, I was isolated, different. I was a mortal in a vampire coven. But with Taiga-kun and Seirin—”

“Blood seals share more life-force, Tetsuya. They are far more intimate than a coven’s bond,” Seijuro whispered. 

“Yes,” Tetsuya said, and despite himself, a true, radiant smile illuminated his usually stoic face. “Taiga-kun made me a part of himself, and he is a part of me.”

_I am no longer alone._

Seijuro’s harsh face looked pained, suffering, and he reached out a chilled hand to draw Tetsuya close. “But he had no right to you, Tetsuya. You are mine.”

It was the second kiss Tetsuya ever experienced, this one infinitely more tender than the one Seijuro forced upon him earlier. Seijuro coaxed him with a gentle hand upon his jaw and a tiny nip upon his lower lip. Instead of just accepting the affection, Tetsuya returned it, turning his head to the side and opening his mouth for Seijuro to explore. His eyes slid shut, and he began to enjoy the delicious ministrations Seijuro offered, like a cool swipe of his neck with his fingertips and a teasing tug of his hair. When his jeans began to tighten, his body became very, very warm. Thick, piercing desire pooled low in Tetsuya’s belly, and he vaguely wondered what it’d feel like if Seijuro moved his lips down to his neck, like Daiki had done to Taiga. 

But instead, Seijuro pushed forward with a certain element of need, whether to mark or to claim, Tetsuya wasn’t sure, before releasing him with a small, fond smile. “I promise to show you something that will feel even better than a blood seal before we are done, Tetsuya.”

Tetsuya’s cheeks inflamed; he dropped his forehead to Akashi’s chest to whimper, “Sei-san better keep his promises.”

“Tetsu… _ya_ …?”

Tetsuya spun away from Seijuro’s chest, missing the mourning look upon Seijuro’s face, and enclosed his hands about Taiga’s, elated to feel the hold returned. “Taiga-kun.”

Taiga’s half-lidded, tired eyes shot wide; his mouth rounded as if to release a pained howl but nothing sounded. Tetsuya’s own eyes were fierce, though his face remained expressionless as he twisted Taiga’s arm unnaturally, inflicting Taiga’s arm with an acute agony. 

“You are an idiot, Taiga-kun, but this takes your stupidity to a new level.”

“ _T-That hurts…Tetsu."_

“Good, it’s supposed to. You cannot scare me like that again. I will teach you not to.” 

Taiga reached for his hand, but due to his injuries, he couldn’t muster enough strength to unhitch even Tetsuya’s grip. “ _I—I’m sorry, Tetsu. I—I’m sorry, but Akashi took Nigou and his coven was following us, and Ahomine wouldn’t tell me anything. I didn’t know what else to do!_ ” 

Nigou whined at Tetsuya’s feet upon hearing his name, and his bushy tail smacked against Tetsuya’s shin. 

Tetsuya refused to relent. “And you thought losing Rakuzan and finding a Dark Claws’ coven would solve the issue?”

“ _Of course not, but I had to try to find you. And I saw you’d met Iwatobi there, so—_ ”

Deflating, Tetsuya loosened his hold upon Taiga’s arm and instead cradled it like the prized possession it was. “Of course you’d think that. I’m sorry, Taiga-kun. It was my fault. I should have realized you’d do something foolish like that and acted accordingly.”

“Hey!” Taiga complained—unsure if he should be offended or grateful—but relaxed against the bed after a few moments. “Anyway, it’s that bastard Akashi’s fault. If he didn’t lock you away in a tower like that princess with long hair—”

“I take offense to the princess remark, Taiga-kun.”

“And I take offense to the bastard comment,” Seijuro spoke up, stepping into Taiga’s range of eyesight. 

Taiga’s eyes rounded again before Tetsuya found himself at the end of a very piercing glare. “You could have warned me, y’know.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Tetsuya’s expressionless voice and face made Taiga snort, but then Tetsuya allowed a tiny smile to cross his face, one known only to a precious few. 

“You should be grateful you are still breathing, Taiga,” Seijuro warned, his sharp voice filled with reproach. “If not for your connection with Tetsuya or his sacrifice, you would have found your end at my fangs already.”

Taiga, for all his bluster, only tightened his grip upon Tetsuya’s hand. No weakness or fear shone on his face. “Is there something you wanted, other than to try and intimidate me?”

Try? Tetsuya gripped Taiga’s wrist and twisted, just a little, as a warning. 

Seijuro narrowed his eyes, seeing right through Taiga’s strong front. “You should also be grateful that I do not believe the falsity you serve as truth. Reo is not one to attack without provocation, even if Tetsuya’s nose bled, and I am beginning to believe that while you may be ruthless, you are not as stupid as Tetsuya would have me believe.” The edge in his voice remained, though the malice was strangely absent. “What really happened the night Reo died?”

Tetsuya felt the heavy weight of Seijuro’s gaze, but this time, he refused to look away. “I tripped and fell, and Reo attacked. Taiga-kun—”

“Do not insult my intelligence, Tetsuya,” Seijuro warned. “I’m asking you to tell me what happened.”

A gamble of faith, and Tetsuya rolled the dice. “If you do not believe me, then order me to tell you the truth, Sei-san.”

Seijuro simply stared at him, surveying Tetsuya’s resolve before brushing back a wayward lock of Tetsuya’s hair from his eyes. “When will you trust me again, Tetsuya? I’ve taken care of you, brought your werewolf—”

“Dog.”

“—and retrieved a piece of your soul. Help me reclaim a piece of my own. Tell me what happened that night.”

With a short sigh, Tetsuya released Taiga’s hand to take Seijuro’s, warming the cool palms in his own. Doubt flooded Tetsuya from Taiga, but Taiga had just cause not to trust Seijuro. Despite his harrowing past with Teikou, Tetsuya had no such reservations. He always had and always would trust Akashi Sejurio. 

“I cannot say more than this, Sei-san, for everyone involved, but Rakuzan shouldn’t stop celebrating September 23rd.”

“Why would I want to—” Seijuro caught up quickly, and Tetsuya enjoyed the jolt of surprise, followed by the unconscious smile that reached the two pure crimson eyes. Seijuro lunged forward, pressing his lips once more against Tetsuya’s in relieved but heated appreciation. Unbeknownst to even himself, Tetsuya wrapped his arms around Seijuro’s neck and dug them into the soft, short strands of Seijuro’s hair, tugging to get him closer, pressing his pelvis flat against Seijuro to feel that unbelievable warmth in his swelling groin again. 

He almost lost himself in the wonderful, pleasurable sensations when Taiga growled, “Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Are you trying to kill me?”

Seijuro’s evil grin unhinged Tetsuya for a moment before he licked up his neck—a claiming, a promise, an eruption of all his sensations—which left Taiga groaning and trying to cover his furiously blushing face. 

“I’ll let you two catch-up,” Seijuro laughed, genuinely elated, and he left. 

The silence was intense and stiflingly, but Tetsuya actually preferred it compared to the confrontation he knew was coming. 

Taiga spoke all too soon. “So… _Sei-san_ and you, huh? You know, I thought felt a little something earlier, but I didn’t realize your distress came from sexual frust—”

“Shut up, Taiga-kun. Or do you want me to bring up you and Daiki-san?”

Taiga’s embarrassment echoed in Tetsuya’s soul, matching Tetsuya’s own mixed feelings, but eventually, they subsided enough for both to raise their eyes and—giggle. Yes, Tetsuya definitely giggled, and Taiga’s gruff laugh was the equivalent of one. 

*^*^*

_Year Four_

The battles came closer, the wounds more frequent. Tetsuya prepared the infirmary ahead of time and met the coven at the front door, assessing their injuries as they passed. Shintarou appeared to be one of the worse off, sweat navigating the ridges of his tense face, meaning most of the patch-work would be left to Tetsuya. Seijuro lent a shoulder to Shintarou while Ryouta and Daiki both seized an armpit to carry Atsushi’s large, lifeless form back to the infirmary. The giant vampire seemed well enough besides a splatter of blood upon his chin, and—oh, the head wound did look nasty, oozing fresh, dark blood. 

For maimed vampires, only time and blood would heal them, so Tetsuya immediately got to work by cleaning out Atsushi’s head wound and patching it before heading over to Shintarou, who’d already worked off his jacket and shirt with Seijuro’s help. 

“You should go to your room, Tetsuya,” Seijuro suggested after Ryouta slipped out. “It’s late, and I’m sure you’ve been worried.”

“I’m fine, Sei-san.” Tetsuya allowed the peroxide to bubble, murmuring an apology when Shintarou winced, and then began applying the ointment. So Shintarou might heal in an hour—two tops—depending on how much blood he lost. 

Shintarou’s tongue slid across his bottom lip, though he pointedly turned his gaze away from Tetsuya. Still, a twinge of uneasiness slithered through Tetsuya’s gut, and he glanced back at Atsushi, who mumbled and moaned upon the table in a restless sleep. 

Oh. In the last four years, he’d help to bandage the coven, cook decent meals, and enjoy life together. Never had he ever see them…feed, as they called it. 

A hand fell upon his shoulder, and he flinched involuntarily. Though Seijuro didn’t let go, his grip softened. “You should go to your room, Tetsuya. I’ll have Momoi join you in a few. She’s out with Ryouta, and—”

The door opened with a fury of movement, and with one long sweep, Daiki surveyed the entire room. He jumped forward then, unnerving Tetsuya when he slapped his hands over Tetsuya’s face and forced their eyes to lock. 

“Daiki!” Seijuro reprimanded, but Daiki was already talking, commanding, “Leave, Tetsu. Get out.”

The betrayal stung much more than the command itself as his entire body stiffened the moment Daiki spoke. A Pure, a vampire’s most loyal servant, Tetsuya had no choice but to obey Daiki’s command, and he loathed his own weakness when his body forced him, despite his inner struggles, to head to the exit. He loathed Daiki when he ruffled his hair on the way past, like the older vampire was praising a loyal dog. He loathed the world when he saw Ryouta and Momoi approach down the hall, dragging two lifeless bodies back with them. 

He almost spat up in his throat, but he thanked Daiki for his choice of words. Daiki told him to leave, not “go to your room” or “wait in the kitchen,” so snatching the basketball that had been left by the front door—the last shred of hope Tetsuya had of leaving the tower—he opened the front door and froze at crackling lighting upon his neck and the towering figure who greeted him.

“Honey, I’m home…” Haizaki sneered. 

_To Be Continued…_


	10. Coven Cheating

_Year Four_

The worst part of the situation wasn’t Haizaki’s unbreakable hold upon his throat, lifting Tetsuya’s feet off of the floor. It wasn’t even the burning of his lungs, starved from the lack of oxygen and other life-sustaining gases. It wasn’t even the hot breath upon Tetsuya’s cheek as Haizaki’s bowed his head, ready to feast on the precious blood that Akashi previously denied him. 

The worst part was Haizaki’s twisted smile, announcing his predetermined victory. 

Haizaki lingered outside Tetsuya’s door when the mortal was younger, looking at him with a creepy leer that always made Tetsuya uncomfortable, but they’d been part of the same coven. So they protected their own. Why was Haizaki here now, trying to suck the life out of Tetsuya? 

But Tetsuya hadn’t lived in a coven for more than four years without learning how to deal with vampires, and whether mortal or vampire, getting kicked in the balls hurt like hell. Haizaki moaned the moment Tetsuya’s foot connected with his lower region, his grip loosening enough for the spots in front of Tetsuya’s eyes to dissipate. He broke free from Haizaki’s hold with a well-timed punch, but even Tetsuya heightened reflexes couldn’t duck the retaliatory blow. Thankfully, he crossed his wrists just in time to block his face and torso, but the superhuman force still slammed him into the far wall, shaking the very foundations of the room. 

Glass shattered. Foot falls thundered through the halls. Smells, foreign and offensively pungent, invaded Tetsuya’s nose—werewolves. Lightning stung on the back of his neck—vampires, lots of them, intruding in the sanctity of Teikou Tower. Tetsuya couldn’t sort the number of forces that attacked, but he knew they were enough to keep the coven busy until long after Haizaki got what he came for.

“Why are you doing this, Haizaki-san?” Tetsuya croaked, his voice raspy from the attack. “You were Teikou.”

“Yes, until they decided to become devastatingly weak,” Haizaki began as he menaced forward, step by measured step. His fangs glistened in the waning Tokyo lights. “In their hands, they have the richest, most delicious meal. Full of awesome power, too, and instead of feeding on it, they…raise it? What the hell is with that?”

Despite his double-vision—and here he thought one Haizaki was bad enough—Tetsuya could do nothing but tremble as Haizaki crouched before him. “After Akashi drank me dry and abandoned my body in the Imperial Gardens, he thought the Fae would ‘beautify me.’ Lucky for me, the Dark Claws found me first and explained to me just how delicious a treat you are.”

Tetsuya knew he should have been scared, but his trembling ceased. He knew he should probably scream for Daiki or Ryouta or Seijuro, but his voice only allowed for a low, raw retort, “I understand why you became a Dark Claw, Haizaki-san. There’s no amount of Fae beautification that could have worked upon you.”

He rolled with the punch. One day, he might even learn not to antagonize his enemies. Not today, though.

“Don’t kid yourself, Tetsuya. You think Teikou will do _anything_ for you? Vampires crave blood, and even if they haven’t bitten you before, they will eventually. But I’m going to have the first taste.” 

Tetsuya refused to believe the malicious words, even as a metallic taste sneaked into his mouth. “I am surprised Haizaki-san wasn’t adopted by a litter of werewolves. He stinks like—”

Haizaki’s supernatural eyes were abysses shimmering with insatiable hunger. “Shut up and stay still.”

Now the fear came, all urgent and panicked, as Haizaki lowered his open mouth again, fangs sharp and foreboding. Haizaki’s hand pinned Tetsuya’s jaw to the ground and stretched his neck to its full, vulnerable length. As the heated breath loomed over his skin, Tetsuya closed his eyes, a fierce shiver shaking his core.

He didn’t want to bleed again—he woke up many times in the middle of the night, lost in real-life nightmares, and sought out Daiki or Ryouta for reassurance—but he wanted to protect his coven, not precipitate its downfall. And that was exactly what he’d do the moment Haizaki bit into him. 

Lightning crackled upon his skin, and then a cool wisp of wind blew across Tetsuya, freeing him of Haizaki’s unwanted touch. He could breathe with the pressure off, though Haizaki’s last command left him lame upon the floor, only seeing what was in his limited vision. 

Relief flowed over him at the sight of dark skin and darker hair. 

“You didn’t learn your lesson the first time, Haizaki, so I’ll teach you now,” Daiki snarled. He diverted his gaze for one moment to meet Tetsuya’s eyes, his own softening even as he commanded, “Tetsu, move!”

Tetsuya sat up when Daiki lunged, swiping at Haizaki with his sharp claws. “I want to help!”

“There isn’t time! You need to go! Get to Shige’s. I’ll pick you up there!”

Haizaki never followed them to Shige’s, always finding the group on the basketball court, which meant Shige’s home would be a safe haven for him. But he refused to leave his coven. When a werewolf dove into the living room, Tetsuya slammed the basketball from earlier into its head and then finished the mutt off with swift kick to the lower region. 

With his back turned, he missed Haizaki’s lunge until Daiki screamed, “Tetsu!” 

Tetsuya found himself eye-to-eye with Haizaki, who decreed, “Stay put and don’t listen to Aomine.”

It was the ultimate loophole. Without another member of Teikou here, Daiki would only have one way to break the command. 

Haizaki ducked Daiki’s swipe, so Daiki’s claws caught Tetsu under the neck, drawing a thin red line. Daiki’s hiss echoed in the otherwise silent room, and with a swift but forceful kick to Haizaki’s side, Daiki separated Tetsuya from Haizaki, who positively brayed. 

“It’s over, Daiki. He’s mine now. You won’t be able to fight me and protect him, and eventually, I will break through. Then I’ll suck him just short of dry and order him to watch as I tear you apart, limb by limb. After that, I’ll go after Ryouta and Seijuro and all of Teikou until you’re all nothing but dried husks.”

Tetsuya couldn’t break Haizaki’s hold upon him, even with Daiki’s hand against his cheek and throat, covering his wounds. He couldn’t rebel or even run, but he could reach out and grab Daiki’s free hand. 

Daiki glanced at him before quickly looking away, face set in a frustrated scowl. A predatory growl reverberated deep within his being, his hands shaking in Tetsuya’s, and then he squeezed Tetsuya’s tiny ones between one of his. A comforting response? An apology? What was Daiki trying to tell him?

Tetsuya let out a surprised, pained gasp before his eyes drifted south to his damaged wrist and the bloodied teeth sunken into it. 

*^*^* 

_Now_

“Ouch! Senpai! What are you—OUCH!” Ryouta folded his arms over his head, wincing as a startlingly powerful blow hit his exposed side, a kick no doubt. “Senpai! It’s not like I planned to be away for so long, but Akashicchi—”

Kasamatsu lifted his leg again, only for Ryouta to flinch. When he remained (relatively) unscathed, Ryouta slowly lowered his arms to see Kasamatsu wearing a dark scowl. While that wasn’t in and of itself unusual, the slight quivering of his sharp blue eyes alarmed Ryouta, who couldn’t remember seeing that before. Kasamatsu’s face steeled then as he retreated to one of the couches in the middle of the elaborate living room, falling to the edge. 

The Kaijo Coven made their home in Kanagawa, in a medieval retreat in the shadow of Mount Fuji. Though the outside appeared rundown with chipping paint and broken shutters, the inside upheld the title of “palace” with marble flooring and columns, velvet drapes, and modern touches like flat-screen TVs, game consoles, and smart technologies. 

As Ryouta blew out a guarded breath, relaxing against the corner of the living room’s entrance, Koji came to his side, crouching to be even with the fallen ace. “We understand—Kasamatsu understands your attachment to Teikou, but you are Kaijo now, Kise. You are needed here, especially with the rumored return of the Dark Claws.”

“Unless there are cute girls in Teikou,” Moriyama added, leaning over Koji’s shoulder. “Then you should introduce us to them the next time you’re summoned.”

“No, he shou(l)ldn’t be answe(r)ing his o(l)d (l)eade(r)’s o(r)ders!” Hayakawa shouted, his voice echoing in a violent bounce about the large room. “He shou(l)d only (l)isten to Kasamatsu!”

“I don’t care that he listens to Akashi,” Kasamatsu interjected, resting elbows upon his thighs, head hanging lower than his shoulders. “Teikou was the most powerful coven in all Japan, and they have yet dissolve their bond, even if they dissolved the coven.”

Ryouta waited on bated breath as he stood, lured closer by every trepid word Kasamatsu uttered, “It’s why he’s listening to Akashi that worries me. You’re here by Akashi’s order to fortify the Winter Pact, aren’t you?”

Guilt surged within Ryouta, but he refused to tear his baleful gaze from Kasamatsu. Eventually, as the moment lingered, Ryouta caved with a curt nod. “Yes. I am here to bring you back to Shinjuku. There is someone Akashicchi wants you to meet.”

“And I will,” Kasamatsu said with harsh reproach as if waiting for Ryouta to rebuff his order. When Ryouta remained silent—a first, for sure—Kasamatsu edged out a smirk and slapped Kise on the shoulder. “For tonight, our coven is whole, and we will be grateful for that.” 

*^*^* 

“So The Emperor is inviting peasants to his little soiree,” Imayoshi mused, glancing down at the crowded bar where Wakamatsu and Susa currently mixed drinks for the supernatural masses. “To what do I owe this generous invitation?”

Daiki was supremely uncomfortable, shuffling his feet like an overgrown child. “It’s not what you think. Akashi just wants to—”

“—solidify the Winter Pact,” Imayoshi interrupted, much to Daiki’s further dismay. “I’m surprised he asked for me and not your loyal little pup.”

“Leave him out of this, all right?” Daiki snapped. How he hated the twisted gleam in Imayoshi’s eyes. “Akashi just wants the leaders to come. He’s trying to keep this meeting as quiet as he can, so it’s only the coven leaders.”

“And the respective members of Teikou, I presume.” Imayoshi pushed back from the cracked and fraying bar to pour himself a stiff red drink. He added an extra shot for good measure. “No need to get restless, _Daiki,_ ” to which Daiki bristled like a wet cat, “I will join you, but one can only wonder. If the Emperor of Teikou seeks the loyalty and cooperation of other member covens, then the rumors must be true.”

Daiki didn’t deny it, which was an answer all in itself. 

“All right,” Imayoshi relented. “Let’s collect the coven and meet downstairs for our first meal together in months. You should be excited, Daiki. Momoi-san has procured you the delicious blood of a health guru.”

Fan- _fucking_ -tastic. They never ate cheeseburgers. 

*^*^* 

“No.”

Shintarou blinked, taken back for a brief moment, before he grunted and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I did not ask a question…senpai.”

“But I’m telling you no anyway,” Otsubo replied, sharp in words and tone. “I do not take commands from the Emperor of Teikou. If he wants to reinforce our compliance with the Winter Pact, then he should come here himself, not send my own coven member to bring me.”

“He does not request your compliance,” Shintarou offered with stubborn reproach. “I have already informed him that Shutoku will listen to any orders Teikou may have.”

Otsubo opened his mouth, ready to retort when Miyaji Kiysohi slapped Shintarou across the back of his head. “It is not your place to speak for the coven.”

As he rubbed the sore spot, Shintarou’s face crinkled about the edges of his eyes for only a brief moment. “It would be unwise to do anything but listen to Akashi. He is absolute and will—”

“—protect us? Or protect Rakuzan?” Otsubo dismissed with a wave of his hand. “I refuse to allow any of my coven members to be gutted by Kagami Taiga. Until Seirin is dissolved from the Winter Pact, I will not—”

Shintarou hmphed and changed tactics. “You must see the importance of having such a strong clan in the alliance—”

“I see Rakuzan asserting their dominance, gathering their forces to clash with the reforming Dark Claws, and I will not have Shutoku die for Rakuzan’s wishes.”

“This is not Rakuzan’s wishes,” Shintarou affirmed, uncomfortable despite the sterile, modern lines of the office décor. The floor-to-ceiling windows of the room overlooked “The Scramble” by Shibuya Crossing, rumored to be the busiest intersection in the world. With a vampire’s heightened reflexes, the Shutoku Coven made great sacrifices to protect the mortals in this popular area. 

Otsubo continued to glare out the windows at the human masses with a concerned, humbled gaze. “Then whose do you believe them to be? Akashi has plans in motions, and though you may not be able to see them, I am sure—”

“How long do you believe we will survive without the strength of other covens?” Shintarou demanded, not moving from his spot in the middle of the room, though the heavy truth echoed against the once-silence walls. “The werewolf packs have been attacked in Akita. Weaker covens has sought dark alliances. It is only a matter of time before we hear from The Fae and if we do not cooperate with the Winter Pact, the slayer clans as well. This is not a simple whim or request from Akashi…senpai,” he interjected with an added level of respect. “It is our fate to fall if we do not listen to Akashi because the Dark Claws have already reformed.”

“And so has Teikou,” Otsubo replied, glancing over his shoulder. His eyes remained calm, not judgmental in the least, but they raked over Shintarou in a curt inspection. “ _You_ want me to meet with Akashi. This isn’t just a request from him, is it?”

Shintarou would argue that no request from Akashi was ever a request, but he nodded nonetheless. “Yes.”

“Why?” Miyaji, this time, inserted. “What has a tsundere like you worried?”

No matter what he felt for Kazunari, Shintarou would always be eternally ungrateful to him for spreading such rumors about his personality. “Because Aquarius is last today and has been ranked among the lowest four signs for the last few months.”

Neither Otsubo nor Miyaji understood the meaning of that statement, but the conviction in Shintarou’s firm voice neither would deny. 

“Fine,” Otsubo eventually replied, and Shintarou, despite himself, visually relaxed. “I will meet with Akashi as you request, but for now, collect Takao and bring him to the main room. It’s been a while since Shutoku has been together. Let us enjoy it for tonight.”

*^*^* 

“You failed,” Seijuro proclaimed without any pretense, voice sharp and reproachful. “You know how I do not tolerate that in any form.”

Before him, Hayama and Nebuya bowed their heads in shame, Hayama’s shoulders even curling inward, though Mayuzumi refused to cower, daring to raise his chin. “Yes, but Kagami Taiga is not a normal slayer. He disappears into the shadows, almost like a vampire, and—”

“And you believe I want to hear excuses?”

“I believe you didn’t come here to make us feel worse than we already do.”

Sometimes it annoyed Seijuro just how much Mayuzumi understood him, almost as much as Tetsuya and his first coven, so Seijuro gestured for the three remaining members of Rakuzan to take seats on the antique but plush furniture. Hayama tucked his legs underneath him on the couch while Nebuya chose to sit on the floor before it. Mayuzumi took the opposite side of the couch from Hayama, but left the middle open for “Reo-nee,” who no doubt would have relished being in the middle of the group. 

Seijuro forwent the Victorian-style chair perpendicular to them and instead sat upon the coffee table directly across from his coven. 

They gathered in the living room of Seijuro’s Tokyo apartment, called back from their respective posts where they had been watching members of the Seirin Clan, and though vampires exuded enhanced strength, they still needed to rest. The last few months since Reo’s “death” took their toll on all of them, as Seijuro took careful note of the sadness that lingered in Nebuya’s eyes, the once-constant smile lost on Hayama’s lips, and the anything but emotionless expression on Mayuzumi’s face. He was mourning. They were all were…except Seijuro, who knew the truth or at least part of it. 

“Eikichi, I do not believe you could or would lie to me, and the pain in your eyes since Reo’s death has been genuine,” Seijuro spoke softly, comfortingly. “But I do not know all the facts about that night.”

“I told you, Akashi,” Nebuya insisted. “I left nothing out.”

No, Seijuro didn’t doubt Nebuya told him the entire truth of what happened that night—that they’d been lured into a Maji Burger by the strong scent of blood, so sweet and so tempting that they couldn’t _not_ seek it. Once they entered the restaurant, they split to find and corner their prey, so they could feed. 

Nebuya found the source of the scent—Tetsuya—while Reo found the source’s protector—Taiga. 

“You never said why we had to protect Seirin and Kagami,” Mayuzumi stated, voice strained, “Reo’s butcher.”

“Eikichi, that night, you and Reo attacked Taiga’s brother,” Seijuro began, only for Nebuya to interrupt.

“The short kid who looked like a ghost?”

“Yes, he is a Pure, the one who was once and is again a part of Teikou.”

“No way,” Hayama shouted, loud and excited. “The legend is actually true!”

Nebuya grunted and let out a shallow burp. Apparently, he hadn’t been eating as much as usual since his encounter with Tetsuya and Taiga. 

Seijuro excused it without so much as a nod. “Yes, in more ways than one, but I have reason to believe more happened that night, something that prompted Taiga to act as he did. Perhaps even Reo to act out of character, for if you’d learned that you had attacked Taiga’s brother—”

“We would have ceased immediately,” Nebuya proclaimed, though he added with a grumble, “delicious meal or not.” 

Gripping his hands together, Seijuro only needed to think of the absolute horror reflected in Tetsuya’s eyes, the then-young mortal trapped in Seijuro’s hold, his neck bared for Seijuro to sink his sharp fangs into. He never wanted to see that look in Tetsuya’s eyes again. Seijuro loathed himself, but he banished the still strong memory of Tetsuya’s alluring scent and rich taste from his mind—or as close as he ever came to.

“It makes me believe that Seirin is hiding something, and that is what I want you to find out.” 

Mayuzumi sat forward in his seat. “So why did you summon us _now,_ Akashi-kun? You could have told us this anytime.”

Seijuro caught each of their eyes, and when he spoke, his voice sounded low and menacing, like the cold wind whipping through a graveyard. “The Dark Claws are reforming.” 

He gave them a moment to process the shock of such a statement, for Mayuzumi to scoff and Nebuya to grunt and Hayama to gasp before continuing, “I went to Akita to see Yosen and met with the Kirisaki Daīchi Pack. Some of their wolves were bitten and impressed into the Dark Claws ranks. Teikou recently ended the short but vicious reign of the Meikou Coven when they almost killed Kagami Taiga.”

“You’re reaffirming the Winter Pact,” Mayuzumi clarified, breathless. 

“Yes. Each member of Teikou is now speaking to their respective covens to assure their loyalty to the pact and their support in protecting the last of the Pure.”

“And perhaps for their own peace of minds, hmm?” Hayama, of course, smiled like the fool he was. “You missed us, didn’t you, Akashi? And you wanted to make sure we were all safe and sound.”

Seijuro straightened his back until he had flawless posture and wished he had glasses like Shintarou to fidget with in these situations. “Perhaps you’ve been spending too much time watching Seirin, Kotarou. I do not hold anyone’s hand here nor do I—”

“Do not badger Akashi, Hayama,” Nebuya interrupted, allowing Seijuro to take an infinitesimal breath he hoped the others wouldn’t notice. “Only Mibuchi could get away with that. You, Akashi might just slay himself, no matter how right you are.”

Didn’t anyone respect the coven leader anymore?

“And for the record, we do not appreciate you leaving us for your old coven,” Mayuzumi, this time, with more than a little sass in his words. Sass. From Mayuzumi. “This is not a high school soap opera. You’re going to have to make it up to us, and flowers and candy will not work.”

Oh, the hell with it. “Then what do you suggest, Chihiro?”

All three of the remaining Rakuzan members stared at him with various levels of bewilderment and even apprehension, though Seijuro was confused as to why. Was it really so alien of him to make a joke now and then? Or perhaps they wondered how he could with Reo gone from them?

Nebuya blew out a quick whistle. “What have you been doing with Teikou, Akashi? Sounds like it’s suiting you.”

It was, perhaps. He felt…lighter these days. More carefree than he had in sometime. He could almost imagine what it must have felt like before he became a vampire, but the truth of the matter was, Teikou now was a collection of vampires from various covens, bonded together by a past life that no longer existed. Instead, there was a future, perhaps with Tetsuya. Perhaps with Teikou, but definitely with Rakuzan. And he’d missed his own coven very, very much. Until now, he hadn’t realized just how much. 

“Reo-nee used to be able to make you smile,” Hayama said, so wistful it was like a passing thought that materialized. As if realizing he spoke aloud, he shifted uncomfortably in the corner of the couch and sighed. “I miss Reo-nee.”

“As do I,” Seijuro added, and through the similar looks mourning, he saw the others felt the same way. But he couldn’t tell them that Reo might still be alive, not without tangible proof first, especially since the three of them had felt the severing of their bond—and survived. So instead, Seijuro stood. “You will all return to your assigned posts tomorrow, but tonight, let us celebrate Reo. Eikichi, bring the take-out menus. Mayuzumi, bring the latest novel you’ve been reading, so we may discuss it. Kotarou, when we are finished, we’ll all take a trip down to the local skatepark. And for Reo, we’ll make sweets.”

“And curse while we’re doing it just to piss him off,” Hayama added. 

Seijuro couldn’t stop the devious smirk from edging onto his lips. “Of course.” 

Tonight, he’d cherish his coven as they deserved. 

_To Be Continued…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, Everyone! Sorry so late with this chapter. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending upon how you look at it), I was promoted at work, which has increased my work load exponentially. Along with the added edits needed for these later chapters, the wait may become longer between each upload. However, I'm going to strive for at least one chapter a week. Thanks for your patience!


	11. Dominant Master

_Now..._

Tetsuya awoke to the soft humming of the latest pop tune. He’d spent the last few days in the infirmary with Taiga, unable to pull himself away from his bonded brother. Taiga rapidly began healing once he woke, but since both he and Taiga were mortal, gashes and broken bones still took days, as opposed to hours or sometimes minutes for vampires. 

And it was only days thanks to Tetsuya’s Pure physiology. 

Taiga hated pop tunes, if the constant mix of rock and hip-hop in Tetsuya’s head was any indication, so when he awoke on the medical bed next to Taiga to the sound of a muffled pop tune, Tetsuya expected to see Ryouta. Finding Himuro Tatsuya in a chair between his and Taiga’s bed, humming softly with a pair of earphones while reading a fashion magazine, was a surprise. 

Tatsuya noticed him once he shifted, tugging out his buds and offering a teasing smile. “I helped to train the two worst slayers in all of Japan. When I came in, neiher one of you woke up. At least Nigou wagged his tail and greeted me.” He ruffled the resting dog’s head before motioning toward the sleeping Taiga. “Taiga snored even louder once I settled in, and you didn’t even move. How is it both of you can throw a dagger across an abandoned warehouse and bury it in a vampire’s left eye after only hearing the clap of a boot against a concrete floor, but you don’t even roll over when I juggle the oranges Ryouta brought you.” 

Tetsuya’s own soft grin mirrored Tatsuya’s as he sat up, flipping his legs over the edge of the bed after he tossed off his covers. He stopped before throwing himself at Tatsuya like Ryouta threw himself at Tetsuya, but it was a struggle. He missed Tatsuya intensely since his older brother became a vampire and joined Yosen. Perhaps some of Taiga’s deep regret of losing Tatsuya’s humanity flowed through their bond to Tetsuya, but when he joined Seirin, Tatsuya cared for him and stayed up with him in the middle of the night when Taiga was too tired. Tatsuya always seemed to know when a nightmare ripped him from sleep and came to sit on the edge of his bed until Tetsuya relaxed enough for slumber again. 

Tatsuya was just as much his older brother as was Taiga, and they both felt incomplete without Tatsuya fighting alongside them. 

“Aniki,” Tetsuya greeted with a quick dip of his head, forgetting his outrageous bed head completely. “You came.”

Tatsuya’s usual stoic face softened, and he immediately sat at Tetsuya’s side, throwing an arm about Tetsuya’s shoulders and drawing him close. His touch used to be warm, so warm that Tetsuya used to feel like he was being cradled by fire itself. But now Tatsuya’s skin was lukewarm with the flow of cooling blood. He must have fed a few hours ago. 

Tetsuya couldn’t have cared less. Tatsuya was here with him and Taiga, and he leaned into the comforting embrace. 

Nigou whined but stayed at his perch on Taiga’s bed, acting both as a body warmer and protector. 

“Of course I came,” Tatsuya continued with a ruffle of Tetsuya’s crown, which actually helped to smooth the epic bedraggled hair. “I just wish I could see you and Taiga under better circumstances.”

“You could,” Tetsuya insisted, head cushioned comfortably against Tatsuya’s shoulder. “If you just talked to Taiga—”

“I think the last time he saw me, he stabbed me five times.”

“It was six,” Tetsuya corrected, “but Aniki is overreacting. Taiga-kun used a steel blade, not a silver one.”

“I still didn’t get a word in edge-wise.” 

“What is there to say?” Tetsuya was surprised by the palpable edge of accusation in his own voice. “You chose to become a vampire and join Yosen.”

“To save Seirin,” Tatsuya insisted, heat absent from his words, replaced by only tired truth. “We wouldn’t have been strong enough to take that coven.”

“But you gave away your humanity like it was nothing.” A bitter taste seeped into Tetsuya’s mouth as Tatsuya’s skin began to cool against his cheek. “Was it even a difficult decision to make?”

“No, it wasn’t,” Tatsuya admitted, his long claws trailing through Tetsuya’s hair, “but not for the reason you think. Yes, I love Atsushi, and yes, I like being a part of Yosen, but I chose to become a vampire to save you and Taiga. And if I were presented with the same situation, I’d do it again knowing the repercussions.”

“You didn’t do it for Atsushi-san?” Tetsuya asked. For all his hurt and frustration, he didn’t want to be the reason his clan brother sacrificed his own peaceful death. 

Tatsuya refused to absolve him. “No. I love Atsushi, Tetsuya, but I wouldn’t have given up my humanity for him.”

Tetsuya nodded, accepting the heavy heartache of another painful separation, but Tatsuya ruffled his hair again and pressed his cool cheek agianst the top of Tetsuya’s head. “It wasn’t your fault, Tetsuya. My becoming the vampire, Taiga’s injuries, Teikou’s dissolution—none of it was your fault. Humans, werewolves, vampires, the Fae—we’re all greedy. We all want to protect our own, and you…you’re different. That makes you dangerous because no one is sure how you fit in our world.”

Tetsuya sighed, slumping even farther into Tatsuya’s secure hold. First a meal for the Dark Claws, then a mortal in a vampire coven before becoming an augmented mortal inside a human clan. Sometimes he wasn’t sure where he belonged or to whom, but he always felt safe and secure at Taiga-kun’s side—and in Seijuro’s eyes. Even with the dark promises spoken in those duel-color irises, Seijuro always created a place for him inside coven, no matter how it went against the natural order of things. 

But it wasn’t natural. He was a member of the supernatural races, even if he was the last of his kind, and where werewolves were loyal, vampires absolute, and Fae breathtaking, Pures were subservient, bred for no other purpose than to be food for vampires and the other races. 

Yet he’d found a home in Teikou and in Seirin. He found a place to belong and people who wanted him for reasons other than the power his blood created. And no matter what, he wouldn’t lose that again, even if it meant he’d eventually lose his humanity as well. 

Tetsuya glanced up at Tatsuya who watched Taiga with a longing gaze, and understood why Tatsuya spoke with him first. He eventually would relay all this to Taiga, calm him down and get him to resolve his anger with Tatsuya through words, not daggers. They could never go back to what they were, but they would always be brothers. He’d thought since his relationship with Teikou had ended so badly, perhaps his with Tatsuya would suffer the same fate, but Tetsuya knew now they would always be brothers. He cherished that thought.

“Did it hurt?” he wondered, fingers trailing down Tatsuya’s gleaming claws. 

“It…did,” Tatsuya admitted, “but only for a few moments during the transformation. And it’s…strange to drink blood to live. The taste, the texture, the smell. It just feels dirty, unnatural to do, but if I don’t drink, I get these cramps in my stomach. So I learned pretty quickly to.”

“So…it’s not too terrible to be a vampire?” 

Relief swelled through Tetsuya when Tatsuya’s visual eye softened. “It’s not…pleasant, feeling as if your entire existence is against the laws of nature and man, but the real pain comes when I think about how I will outlive the people who make life worth living.” He kissed the top of Tetsuya’s now tamed hair. “But I will endure it for the simple pleasure of your presence, and I know Teikou feels the same way.”

Tetsuya rolled his head until his face pressed against Tatsuya’s chest, and he simply stayed there, breathing in Tatsuya’s familiar and unique scent. It had dulled but persisted since Tatsuya’s transformation into a vampire, and despite his frustration and turmoil at losing one of his brothers in Seirin, he would be eternally grateful to Atsushi for saving Tatsuya that night in Akita when their clan and coven met. 

A tiny voice inside of him tried to argue that Tatsuya was wrong. Teikou didn’t lament him while he was still here, but Tetsuya remembered the fights between the coven members, the words that cut deeper than physical wounds, and the phantom pain in his wrist from that night all those years ago when everything began to unravel. Tetsuya observed the guarded glances Shintarou hid behind his glasses, the constant touch Ryouta didn’t even try to rein, the frequent visits and hair tassels from Daiki, the delicious food Atsushi made and delivered, and the unwanted orders from Seijuro who dismissed his eye-roll with a sinister little smile. 

They cared and endured the pain of his existence, to give him a better life than he had with the Dark Claws, and instead of shunning him after they learned he still lived, they welcomed him back into Teikou and even protected his bonded brother, despite believing he’d killed one of them own.

Tetsuya didn’t want to face that unfortunate truth now, especially on the eve of another war. 

“We’ve missed you, Aniki,” Tetsuya whispered. 

Tatsuya indulged him, holding him like he was fifteen again and wakening in the middle of the night from all-too-real nightmares. “I’ve missed you and this idiot, too. What happened? All Atsushi said was ‘Kaga-chin’ was hurt.” 

With a heaved sigh, Tetsuya launched into the story, recounting his dream-walking and the battle with the Dark Claws. Tatsuya’s face grew dark with a worrisome scowl as Tetsuya explained how Meikou, once a non-bonded coven with no territory, suddenly claimed a well-known district of Tokyo. When he finished a list of Taiga’s long but healing injuries, he sat on Taiga’s bed, holding one of his brother’s massive hands between both of us, one thing still nagging him.

“Aniki, how did you get into Teikou Tower? Sei-san let you in?”

“I don’t think Atsushi asked.”

Tetsuya swung about to meet Tatsuya’s amused but glowing eyes, and his brother laughed. “I know. Atsushi doesn’t dare to disobey Akashi, so I was surprised as well. But I believe Atsushi knows how much I needed to be here, so he decided to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.”

Tetsuya was incredibly grateful. With Tatsuya here, he could relax. He didn’t have to worry about who would watch over Taiga or if Seijuro would all of a sudden decide Taiga deserved to die (again). Tatsuya would handle it—and oh, how he missed that. He missed Seirin, where he relaxed best in Taiga’s presence but also trusted their senpai—Kiyoshi, Hyuga, Izuki, “Coach,” and all their members—with his life and more importantly, with Taiga’s life. And though he trusted Teikou, he also knew Teikou wouldn’t protect Taiga as they would protect him. 

“Why don’t you leave Taiga to me?” Tatsuya asked, fingers twiddling with Tetsuya’s longer strands. “I’ll watch the idiot while you freshen up and get some rest. You look like on the verge of collapse, and you need to keep up your strength, so Taiga can recover.”

Tetsuya hesitated but eventually nodded. Though Taiga would only become agitated if he woke up to find Tatsuya with him, Tetsuya desperately needed a bath and a few minutes to relax after being by Taiga’s injured side for three days straight. And Tatsuya was right. His strength fueled Taiga’s, and if he lost all his, then Taiga would never heal. 

Someone—probably Shintarou or Kazunari—drew him a bath, and though much of the original steam evaporated, Tetsuya still enjoyed the warm water and relative calm of the evening atmosphere. When his fingers and toes became sufficiently prune-y, he dried off and slipped into comfortable basketball shorts and an oversized shirt before reaching out to Taiga via their connection, making sure to feel the comforting warmth and enjoyable serenity that came from a peaceful dream. Then, he plucked the tiny penguin keychain off the nightstand, his lucky item for the day Shintarou left for him, and headed off to satisfy the sudden growl in his stomach. Hm. He hadn’t realized he was hungry, or perhaps Taiga’s energy was coming back, including his monstrous appetite. 

What he hadn’t expected was the empty and cold kitchen, void of Atsuhi, Ryouta, or any member of Teikou. Even Daiki wasn’t rummaging around in the refrigerator, ass up in the air and way too tempting—Tetsuya scowled as Taiga’s thoughts slipped into his own. He loved being the voice in Taiga’s head and vice versa, but this was where he needed to draw the line. 

Daiki-san and Taiga-kun seemed to fit perfectly when Tetsuya allowed his thoughts to drift that way. Both were adorable idiots who loved basketball and killing the vicious dregs of the supernatural races, and they both loved Tetsuya with all their heart, unable to give nothing but all of themselves to him. 

Enjoying the new warmth that flowed through him—Taiga must have felt his affection spilling through their bond, even during his sleep—Tetsuya headed over the refrigerator, finding a fresh batch of vanilla milkshakes Atsushi must have made that morning. With a shrug, he stuffed a straw through the top of the blue cap and headed toward the basketball court. He should have gone and rested, but he was becoming restless from being in the tower again. 

Throwing the ball up time and time again, Tetsuya only managed to connect about half of his shots, and one only went in after it smacked the top of the backboard and plummeted through the net. It was rather pathetic that he could slice open a vampire’s stomach with a flick of his wrist and a silver dagger, but he couldn’t make a shot from the second hashtag. 

Sighing, he decided to work on his passing, at which he excelled. Perhaps the skill and formation of a basketball pass applied to throwing a dagger? Tetsuya didn’t know, but the ball slammed against the far wall and came back to Tetsuya’s hand as if it never left. He twirled and tossed, caught and bounced, taking simple pleasure in the thundering rhythm of the ball against the court and the smooth leather against his palm. 

Cold lightning prickled upon the back of his neck, but that probably came from Tatsuya, wanting to check up on him or maybe Shintarou. He continued unperturbed until Daiki wondered out loud, “You ever try changing your formation?”

Tetsuya actually jumped before whirling accusatory at his oldest protector, who stood on the stairs leading down to the court, dressed in loose shorts and cut-off sleeves. “Don’t do that, Daiki-san. You’ll make me mad.”

“Me? You’re the sneaky little bastard, Tetsu.”

A soft grin took Tetsuya’s face, and keeping his facial expression steady, he threw an Ignite Pass Kai directly into Daiki’s stomach. The vampire immediately doubled over, clutching his gut and barely keeping off his knees. 

“ _What the hell was that for?_ ” 

With Daiki at his eye level, Tetsuya made sure to wound him with his most cold stare. “You will not hurt Taiga-kun. If you do, I will use your immortality against you and make you feel pain in new and creative ways. Do you understand, Daiki-san?”

“Taiga? What does this have anything to do with—” Daiki’s eyes widened before he whispered, “Did Bakagami tell you about me and—”

Idiots, the both of them. They truly deserved each other. 

Tetsuya raised his sleeve to show his blood seal. “Taiga-kun and I are bonded, Daiki-san, so that means we know everything about each other. It also means that I know what your tongue feels like inside my mouth.”

Daiki shivered with a rough gruff; Tetsuya mirrored the action. 

The basketball lay between them, and Daiki picked it up to spin it on his finger. “Y’know, you were part of Teikou first, bonded and everything. Why are you threatening me about Taiga? Why aren’t you threatening Taiga about me?”

“How do you I haven’t?” 

And he had—almost two and half years ago when he first smelled Daiki’s scent on Taiga. Just because he hadn’t been a part of Teikou at the time hadn’t meant Tetsuya didn’t care about Daiki and his well-being. 

Daiki blushed, obviously touched by the notion, and cleared his throat with a passing grumble. “Hey, Tetsu. You ever think about changing the way you shoot? You really don’t pass like a normal player, y’know? Maybe you shouldn’t shoot like one either.” 

No, that was true. His style was unorthodox, blending misdirection with normal basketball maneuvers, and even his slayer skills were unusual but effective. Perhaps if he morphed his shot in a similar fashion, where he used his palm as a guide and pushed up on his feet—the ball thunked off the backboard into the net. 

“Yeah. Yeah!” Daiki patted him roughly on the back before jogging to retrieve the ball. “Try again!”

Tetsuya went up again and again, and eventually, Daiki snatched the ball, impressed. “Four out of ten. Not bad. Let’s see if we can up that number.”

“Wait! Wait! Pass to me first!” Ryouta howled as he burst into the gym, dressed in a tight shirt that hugged his well-defined torso and loose fitting shorts. Daiki obliged, throwing the ball to Tetsuya who sent it on to Ryouta. The hoop reverberated from the force of Ryouta’s dunk. 

“Tetsu-kun!” Momoi screamed, once more attacking Tetsuya with one of her bone-crushing hugs, but he didn’t mind anymore. In fact, he relished the cool feel of her skin against his and the overwhelming scent of cherry blossoms and blood. It was comforting, familiar. 

“Did everyone speak to their respective coven leaders?” Seijuro asked as he came down the stairs, Shintarou and Atsushi on his heels. They also sported work-out outfits.

So, that was where they’d all gone yesterday and why Tatsuya had been left to watch Taiga, Tetsuya realized as he watched all the members of Teikou nod. 

Daiki crossed his arms, though his face remained relaxed, calm. “Yeah, Imayoshi agreed to the meet.”

“As did Otsubo,” Shintarou added. 

“Kasamatsu-senpai can’t wait to come to Tokyo and meet with you, Akashicchi!” Ryouta boasted before leading over to whisper to Tetsuya, “I think he just really wants to see where I’ve been all this time.”

“Butt-chin sent Muro-chin,” Atsushi yawned, fighting with a bag of potato chips. “Said Muro-chin knows more about Tokyo and was on his way anyway.”

Seijuro nodded, a quiet smile upon his face like he’d expected the respective responses. “Then we will entertain each of them, except for Tatsuya, whom I believe you’ve already seen, Tetsuya.”

So Seijuro knew that Tatsuya was here—of course he did. He always knew. 

“You’re bringing together the heads of the covens?” Tetsuya asked, apprehension pooling uncomfortably in his belly. “Why? You promised Seirin would be protected if I stayed here.”

“And our deal stands,” Seijuro assured, coming to rest a hand upon Tetsuya’s shoulder, right over his blood seal, “but after the untimely battle with Meikou and other unfortunate circumstances coming to light, I believe it is time to introduce you to the coven heads and once more reaffirm the Winter Pact against the Dark Claws.”

Tetsuya glanced down upon the hand upon his shoulder as a fierce chill spread from it throughout his body. “Do you truly believe we are that close to war again? One battle does not—”

“Reo beheaded Shirogane,” Seijuro said without preamble, voice low and sharp. “You cannot tell me the fact that he was killed just before the Dark Claws resurfaced is coincidental.”

Tetsuya’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You cannot seriously believe that Taiga-kun—”

“The attack upon Reo was orchestrated, and you stopped it in some way. And now you are protecting him. You see what I see.”

Tetsuya let out a quick breath. Yes, he did—utter destruction and devastation of everything he held dear, which was why he was grateful for Rakuzan’s protection at this time, even after the mark Seijuro put upon Taiga’s name. _That,_ Seirin could have handled, but the Dark Claws? 

“Do you believe we have a chance?” Tetsuya asked, shoulders slumped in resignation. 

Lithe fingers lifted his chin, and two clear, red irises shone back at him with nothing but unbridled affection. “Yes, because we have you. And with the full power of our coven, we cannot lose.” 

Dumbfounded, Tetsuya tried to ignore the fierce heat in his cheeks and the desperation eating his heart—was he truly that strong? That important to the coven, a mortal among vampires—but Seijuro gave him reprieve, turning to the other allied covens of the group. “Perhaps we should start.” 

“Three on three?’ Daiki replied, snagging Tetsuya in a quick headlock at his hip. “I get Tetsu.”

“Aw! I wanted Kurokocchi!” Ryouta whined. 

“Eh…? I wanted Kuro-chin, so I don’t have to run as far,” Atsushi added. 

Shintarou looked like he wanted to roll his eyes but wouldn’t lower himself to such a pedestrian form of rebuttal. “We can change teams after games.”

“We’ll start with Daiki and Tetsuya on my team for the first game,” Seijuro countered, walking up to retrieve the ball from Ryouta. “Take it out behind the three-point line, winners’ ball, turnovers for fouls. Any questions?”

“Gotcha!” Daiki held out his fist to Tetsuya. 

A warmth flowed through Tetsuya, the presented fist and elated smile drowning him in comforting memories from his youth. This was how he met Daiki, the first adult to ever care about him and want to save him. And Daiki had, time and time again, and it felt good— _right_ —to be back here…finally. 

He returned the fist bump, much to Daiki’s delight. 

The game began when Momoi threw the tip-off, and then they were—losing? Shintarou took the first points of the game with a quick shot off of a passing from Atsushi. Tetsuya shook it off easily, receiving a pass from Seijuro, and they countered with Daiki, who failed to connect with a forceful dunk. Seijuro appeared by Ryouta’s side in an instant and swiped the ball back to Tetsuya, who connected for a two-pointer. 

They all stopped the game, staring dumbfounded at Tetsuya, who gazed back with his own blank expression, even if he felt smug—or as smug as he ever did. 

“Did you just…score?” Ryouta asked, glancing back at the hoop like it lied to him. 

Shintarou hmphed and went to retrieve the ball. “He was bound to evolve in some capacity over the last five years.”

“Over the last five years!” Daiki exclaimed, pouncing with his hand upon Tetsuya’s head to ruffle the soft hair. “Please. This happened in the last five minutes.”

Tetsuya debated about slamming the ball a second time into Daiki’s gut, but then Seijuro interjected with a soft, almost private smile. “Much has happened in the last five years, Daiki, Shintarou. We have all evolved and grown apart. _Moved on._ ” The words sounded like an admonishment, but the tone was light, thoughtful. And though Seijuro addressed the coven, Tetsuya wondered if he spoke to himself just as much. “But perhaps things have not changed as much as we originally thought.” 

No, Tetsuya conceded as Shintarou passed the ball to Ryouta, whose eyes brightened at receiving a pass. While Tetsuya adored Seirin and Taiga-kun with all his heart, he still regarded Teikou highly, and despite himself, he relaxed in the presence of his former— _present,_ a tiny voice corrected—coven. 

How easily he fell into step with Daiki and Seijuro, and then Atsushi and Shintarou, and finally Ryouta and Daiki. They passed and laughed, fought and played. Buried memories climbed to the surface, of birthdays celebrated with Teikou at the streetball court with vanilla cake and milkshakes, of Saturday practices, of friends long lost to time. He met each member’s face, saw the darkness that overcame them gone, banished to a time before the war, when they weren’t just a coven but a family, and he couldn’t stop the smile that came to his lips. 

He was home. 

Then Daiki stood in front of him, that carefree, awesome grin shutting his eyes and radiating from his face like the sun itself. 

“Yo, Tetsu! Looked like you were about to crack a full smile there. Shige would totally want to…”

Daiki stopped himself, perhaps because of the stricken expression Tetsuya felt overtake his face, perhaps because of the trembling eyes and the balled fists. It hurt, even after all these years, to think of Shige and their Saturday practices, and his safe days at Shige’s house, falling asleep on his bed. When consumed by the darkness that was his life, when he was nothing more than meals for the Dark Claws, Shige had been his only light, his only escape from his harrowing life in the shadows, a life line that kept Tetsuya alive. 

Then Ogiwara was gone, his life force drained in a puddle of crimson, his breath stolen by the claws of one of Tetsuya’s sworn protectors. 

How could he betray Ogiwara? Tetsuya chastised himself, taking a half-step back, eyes sweeping across the concerned faces of the Teikou Coven. He didn’t blame Teikou for killing Ogiwara. He blamed himself for accepting a place in a coven, in Teikou where he had no place to be. He should have fought harder against Seijuro and refrained from becoming a part of the coven again. Others around him would suffer—he wouldn’t allow Izuki, Hyuga, Kyioshi, anyone of Seirin to face a similar fate to Ogiwara. 

He wouldn’t let Taiga. 

A wave of concern spread through him—he’d awaken Taiga with his tumultuous emotions—followed by a spark of surprise and anger. Tatsuya greeted Taiga when he awoke, no doubt, but Tetsuya couldn’t comfort Taiga, not when Daiki stepped forward, reaching a large hand out to him. 

“Tetsu, listen to me—”

A fierce shiver overtook Tetsuya, and he darted away, up the stairs, into the maze of hallways. He couldn’t stay here any longer. He couldn’t accept the bond he felt so strongly now, tethering him to the coven he once escaped. Seirin—Taiga—Alex! 

“Tetsu!” Daiki called after him, urgent, pleading. “Tetsu, wait!”

Even with his augmented reflexes, Tetsuya couldn’t outrun a vampire, especially not one as powerful as Daiki, who caught up with him in the main room leading to the exit. The large picture window showcased Shinjuku in its brilliant, neon glory when Daiki snatched him by his arm and swung him around. Strong hands encased his shoulders in a desperate hold. 

“Tetsu, will you just listen to me for a moment?”

“Daiki-san, please. I shouldn’t be here,” Tetsuya rejoined, hands shaking as they clutched Daiki’s taunt forearms. “I can’t let—Ogiwara-kun, he—”

“There’s something you need to know, okay?” Daiki snapped, his voice terse and hold painful as if he gripped onto his last strands of sanity. “About Shige. That night, at the streetball court, something… happened you don’t know, and—”

He took a deep, bracing inhale before opening his mouth—and jerking Tetsuya behind him as the large, two-story windows shattered. Daiki forced Tetsuya to the ground, protecting the smaller mortal with his larger frame. Tetsuya grabbed the side of Daiki’s shirt, pressing his face against the taller vampire’s cool and soothing chest as dust and debris swept through the room. 

“It’s all right, Tetsu,” Daiki soothed, but Tetsuya knew it was anything but. 

Once the initial attack ended, Daiki slowly uncurled, and Tetsuya peeked around him to see a rather dark figure, cloaked in a black hood, kicking the shards of the shattered glass and metal shrapnel. The two-doored front entrance cracked and broke, flying off its hinges as the werewolves invaded the living area, venomous growls huffing through their clenched teeth. 

“Stay behind me,” Daiki ordered. 

But like Tetsuya refused to let Taiga die for Teikou, Tetsuya refused to let Daiki die for him. “You need to go,” Tetsuya replied, tense. “Collect Taiga-kun and the rest of Teikou. I’ll hold them off.”

Taiga’s anger spiked, as if feeling Tetsuya’s resignation, but Daiki seized his wrist, right where the bite marks discolored the pale skin. He spoke directly into Tetsuya’s eyes. “You listen to me and only me. Got it?”

*^*^*

_Year Four_

Crimson bubbled from the corners of Aomine’s mouth and coated Tetsuya’s wrist; the young mortal belatedly cringed at the momentary but sharp pain in his wounded flesh, followed by the unfamiliar sensations rushing through his veins. Panic seized him in a stifling embrace, locking his gaze upon the once comforting but now foreign eyes of Daiki as they glowed an otherworldly hue, a mixture of a moonlit sky and the sea at dawn. 

He saw the blood—his blood—but shuddered when Daiki’s cool lips pursed upon his skin, drawing the harmed flesh into his mouth and suckling blood from the open vein. 

Unfamiliar sensations swept through Tetsuya, not entirely unpleasant but wholly unwelcome. The tingling prickled upon his now hyper sensitive skin and spread throughout his whole body, warming him in an unnatural glow before being sucked completely out of his body and leaving a refreshed but satisfying coolness, like when one submerged in a pool on a hot day. 

Never when he’d been bled by the Dark Claws had he felt such pleasure, such release. In fact, when Daiki lifted his stained lips and fangs from his wrist, he felt bereft and empty after the wonderful albeit brief ecstasy his surrogate brother proffered him. 

He wanted to feel more. He wanted to embrace the vampire’s touch again—until he saw the pained look in Daiki’s eyes, which masked the utter desire buried deep within what remained of his soul. The blood painting Daiki’s mouth hit Tetsuya full force, and the promises and security he reveled in the last four years evaporated in a single breath. 

Daiki bit him and drank his blood, something he’d promised never to do. Something even the Dark Claws had never done. 

Lightheaded and winded, Tetsuya sucked in swallow breaths, trying to calm his racing heart that throbbed as if it ran a marathon. He immediately tugged his bleeding wrist free from Daiki’s hold, but the vampire’s superior strength won out as Daiki, even on his knees, held Tetsuya steady. 

“You know what this means, right?” Daiki rasped, his voice scraping his throat as if forced from the depths of his gut. “I am your dominant master. My word supersedes all others. So you listen to me and only me. Got it?”

Tetsuya struggled as the tears blurred his vision and stopped him from seeing the expression upon Daiki’s face. He wanted to run, away from Teikou and the Dark Claws, away from the supernatural races and their abhorrent war. Daiki promised to protect him. Teikou promised never to bite him and take his blood. They promised never to dominate him, and now, despite his own wishes, he bowed to Daiki, taking his rightful place as a servant to a vampire. 

“Good. Don’t move until I tell you.” 

Daiki stood then, claws out, blood still dripping from his fangs as he turned toward Haizaki, whose own eyes were round and shimmering in the neon lights of Shinjuku. He took a low fighting position, feet apart, claws extended, an uneasy mask upon his face forged by trepidation and resentment. 

“Akashi will bleed you dry for defiling his pet,” Haizaki spit. 

“If that was your only punishment, then Akashi was kind to you last time, Haizaki.” Daiki’s voice flirted with malice and death. “I won’t be.”

Tetsuya wished he could close his eyes and cower from the truth that Daiki showed him, of the true nature of the war and its vicious practices. But instead, with Daiki’s last command impressed upon him, Tetsuya stood and watched as Daiki, his kind-hearted and generous brother, tore Haizaki apart. 

Literally. 

Blood squirted from Haizaki’s arm as Daiki, fueled with the blood of the Pure and the combined strength of the great Teikou Coven, ripped it clean from Haizaki’s body. A fierce tear of Haizaki’s entrails spilled fresh crimson upon the floor and decorated it with a few body parts. The putrid scent made Tetsuya nauseated, and he was unable to look away from the carnage Daiki created or even wince when Haizaki’s blood splattered his cheek.

Daiki ordered him not to move, and Tetsuya couldn’t refute. 

Bones snapped. Crimson clapped upon the hard wood, and Daiki finished Haizaki off with a violent swipe of his claws, freeing Haizaki’s head from his carcass. 

Tetsuya would have puked right then and there if he’d been able. 

Shoulders heaving, Daiki turned, drenched in the blood he usually ate, eyes glowing still that otherworldly blue but this time with a golden hint. As if in a trance, he slid forward with purpose, crimson hand coming up to cradle Tetsuya’s shivering cheek. 

In the first time in his life, Tetsuya feared Daiki and his magnificent strength. 

But Daiki stopped, and a part of his eyes seemed to sink back into their usually hue, a dark, inky black color. He dropped his hand as his face contorted in a regretful grimace, and then a faraway growl followed by a high-pitched yelp jerked Daiki back to his senses. 

He glared directly into Tetsuya’s eyes, and this time when he spoke, Tetsuya could barely hear it. “Go to Shige. Stay with him until I come for you.”

This time, Tetsuya didn’t struggle. He fled. 

_To Be Continued…_


	12. How to Save a Life (or Damn It)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry so long, Everyone! I hope I haven't lost you, and as an apology (Come back!), this chapter is double the normal size! :)

_Year Four_

“Coming!” 

Ogiwara had changed in the two years since Tetsuya had seen him. When he opened the door to his still shabby apartment above the rundown yakitori restaurant, he wore a horrible green and white school uniform with checkered pants and a gray tie. He towered over Tetsuya, almost a full six inches taller, despite their similar ages. A familiar grain of rice stuck to his cheek from what appeared to be a hasty meal. 

Ever true, a basketball was pressed against his side, and his friend’s uncertain frown grew into a hopeful, irrepressible grin. 

“Tetsu?”

“Ogiwara-kun…” Tetsuya greeted, bowing formally like Seijuro had taught him, but then he grunted when Ogiwara ploughed into him. They crashed to the ground in a tackle hug.

“Tetsu! You’re okay! When I hadn’t heard from you in so long and Daiki stopped coming to the court, I thought something happened to you, and…”

Uncertainly, hesitantly, Tetsuya’s arms sought the comfort that engulfed him, reaching about Ogiwara to return the heartfelt embrace. After the cold touch of Daiki, Ogiwara’s warm hold was welcome, soothing in its simplicity and familiarity. Tetsuya leaned into it, savoring the uncomplicated affection Ogiwara offered after so many years apart. 

“Tetsu, you’re hurt!”

Ogiwara first gaped at the dried blood upon Tetsuya’s neck and collarbone before grabbing hold of Tetsuya’s arm. He pushed up the long sleeve to see the damaged wrist, dirtied from caked blood that had thankfully stopped leaking when Tetsuya left the tower. If not, Tetsuya would have attracted every werewolf, Fae, and vampire in the city and led them straight to Ogiwara’s place. 

“Come on.” Ogiwara stood and tugged on Tetsuya’s good arm. “Let’s get you inside and—and—Tetsu? What’s wrong?”

It was childish, but Tetsuya couldn’t stop the tears from blurring his vision and Ogiwara’s concerned face. His wrist hurt but not as much as his heart, and staring at the best friend who saved him first, before Daiki and Teikou, with no other weapon than his brilliant smile, Tetsuya cried. Even after all this time, Ogiwara hadn’t changed and remained the kind, gentle soul Tetsuya knew him to be, the only human who saw him despite his low presence as a Pure.

Ogiwara would never know just how valuable he was to Tetsuya—and how scared, despite Daiki’s order, Tetsuya was to impress upon Ogiwara and place him in the middle of the supernatural war. But he selfishly craved Ogiwara’s smile, his friendship, his light again.

Ogiwara said nothing for a few moments before Tetsuya heard his socked feet shift on the welcome mat. Then, Ogiwara’s arms wrapped around Tetsuya and helped him inside the house. 

Tetsuya decided then and there never to let Teikou come between Ogiwara and him again. 

*^*^*

_Now_

Daiki’s growl reverberated from the depths of his gut, so loud and fierce it shuddered Tetsuya’s wrist, still locked in Daiki’s hold. “You bastards picked the wrong night to attack. I haven’t been able to see Mai-chan, so now I’m cranky.”

The vampire started toward Daiki and Tetsuya in a determined stride, grinding the glass shards from the two-story living room window into dust under his boots. The werewolves advanced, coming to protect their master, fangs bared to bite into cold and warm flesh alike, but Daiki kept himself between the two forces and Tetsuya, arms boxing his young charge behind him. 

Tetsuya, himself, flicked his wrist, dropping a silver dagger into his palm. Daiki’s smile originated in his voice and brightening his once cold face. “You had that on you during our basketball game?”

Tetsuya’s own soft smile found his lips. “It would be unwise for a slayer not to carry the tools needed to slay.”

“What else you got hidden up there, huh?”

“Maiubo, just in case Atsushi-san gets hungry.”

Tetsuya almost laughed when Daiki did a double-take to confirm that yes, Tetsuya was teasing him. But how could he not? Daiki always wore this dumb look on his face whenever he took Tetsuya’s serious tone as fact, and even when they looked death in the face with the leader of the Dark Claws and his savage werewolves ready to attack, Daiki still believed him. It was just too funny not to exploit, even if Taiga always said his idea of “funny” was a little twisted. 

All his humor died when the lead vampire took a step forward, his venomous tone slicing through the good nature that lived between Daiki and him. “Give us the Pure, and I will allow Teikou its brief albeit futile rebirth.” 

“Go to hell,” Daiki snapped. 

“As vampires are immortal, it is unlikely that such a trip will occur.”

Oh, great. This vampire had sick sense of humor, too.

“Tell that to Haizaki. I showed him the pathway and tossed him down it, too. Piece by piece.”

Tetsuya involuntarily shivered, and instead of releasing him, Daiki tightened his grip on Tetsuya’s bitten wrist. 

“You have no other choice,” the vampire continued, his tone sliding from amused to furious. “Even the combined power of the Teikou Coven is not enough to stop us from destroying you and taking what rightfully belongs to me.”

Instant dread slammed into Tetsuya, tingling unpleasantly in his belly and wracking his entire frame. The raucous tone of the voice, the smooth and confident delivery, the promise of misery and agony, and the those dead, loathsome eyes—Tetsuya relived his bloody and painful past whenever he closed his eyes, and only Taiga’s steady presence could ever allow him to banish it completely at night. 

Despite his own trepidation, Taiga projected his own soothing feelings into Tetsuya’s being, offering reassurance and conviction to reject the terror that shivered up his spine. But this time, Taiga didn’t help. This time, the demon of his past stood before Tetsuya, impossibly alive and wanting to drag him back to the horrors of his youth—after killing his family. 

“Shirogane-sama,” Tetsuya whispered, his fear given life through a breathless gasp. 

That jerked Daiki’s head toward him, eyes wide and demanding, but the first vampire drew his attention when he threw back his hood, revealing mature temples and swept back hair upon a cold and chiseled face. He bore some resemblance to Shirogane Kouzou, who led the Dark Claws to power and whom Tetsuya feared in the recesses of his mind, but this was not the vampire who used to drain him and sell his blood to the highest bidder. 

“Kuroko Tetsuya, the Last of the Pure, the Phantom Slayer of Seirin, it is an honor to meet you.” His head lifted rather than bowed in greeting, as if to prove his dominance over Tetsuya and his Pure status. “I am Shirogane Eiji. You belonged to my father, and now, you belong to me.”

Daiki’s growl only intensified. “Tetsu is a member of the Teikou Coven. He doesn’t belong to you.”

“Just because a stray wanders away does not mean the person who found him is his rightful owner,” Shirogane responded with crisp fact. 

“Daiki-san.” Tetsuya forced his lips to move. 

“Not now, Tetsu.” The werewolves started forward ahead of their vampire master, creeping closer to attack. 

“Daiki-san, if it comes to me or the coven—”

“Testu, shut the fuck up, all right! I’m not giving you up.”

Tetsuya ignored the desperate and burning reprimand from Taiga as he gripped Daiki’s hand with his own. “Kill me, Daiki-san.” He threw Shirogane the harshest glare he could muster, steeling his conviction as he continued, “I refuse to return to the Dark Claws.”

“You have no say in the matter,” Shirogane announced in bitter retort, and the werewolves lunged, only to meet resistance from the Teikou Coven. Shintarou, Ryouta, Kazunari, and Seijuro created a protective barrier between Daiki and Tetsuya and the werewolves as they attacked the feral forces. Shintarou slashed his way through to the door, Kazunari a step behind guarding his back, while Ryouta and Seijuro worked in tandem, combating the intruding vampires.

Shirogane stared straight ahead, never taking his eyes off Tetsuya, and lifted up a single hand toward his prey. 

“Come,” he ordered. 

“Go, Takao!” Midorima shouted with the path clear to their front door, and with one slash of a werewolf, Kazunari shot through it, abandoning the battle. 

“Duck, Midorimacchi!” Ryouta shouted as he took Kazunari’s place, swiping through a rival werewolf and moving back to back with Midorima. 

“Do not cut it so close next time, Kise,” Midorima admonished, to which Ryouta tched. “I have a longer reach than Takao-kun.”

“Be that as it may, you are more annoying.”

“Midorimacchi! How can you say that?”

“Easily.”

“Oh, Takao-kun is right. You are just a big tsundere.” 

Shirogane appeared puzzled, Tetsuya saw from his position behind Daiki, but a vicious, salivating werewolf attacked Daiki, stealing his attention. Daiki kicked it in the head before throwing the large beast into a lunging vampire. Whirling out of Daiki’s grip, Tetsuya buried his silver blade in the werewolf’s torso until the creature disappeared in a puff of dust. He dove into a forward roll, coming up to swipe through two vampires in one motion. 

Daiki was there then, at his shoulder, tugging him to his feet and throwing him toward a pack of wolves. Tetsuya smacked the first across the face before pivoting to kick another, but he never glanced behind him, trusting Daiki to be there to save him. And he was, growling and using his claws and teeth to tear through the wolves. 

“You cannot defy me,” Shirogane wondered, though Tetsuya heard him almost halfway across the living room floor, “…unless…” 

A sudden surge of fear spiked in Tetsuya’s gut—Taiga!—but as he pivoted toward the doorway, another vampire jumped in front of him. 

Crimson slicked the walls and splattered the floor with every footfall as Tetsuya worked in a haze of silver and sweat. When the claws silenced and the bodies quieted, Tetsuya whirled to find Shirogane missing and Seijuro heaving by the doorway, looking distressed in a way Tetsuya had never seen him before. Shoulders slumped, eyes wide, he stared straight ahead as if not seeing any of the carnage that laid before him and Teikou. 

Were his claws…shaking?

Tetsuya whipped around to do a quick headcount—Daiki, Ryouta, Shintarou, and Seijuro all remained standing, but Kazunari left earlier—to where, Tetsuya could only guess, but his former clan-mate would never flee during a battle such as this. 

As he turned back to Seijuro, Tetsuya gasped at Shirogane who now stood in the doorway, holding a bloodied and limp Taiga, claws about his neck, arm about Kagami’s heavy torso. Shirogane’s sharp teeth hovered over Taiga’s exposed neck, teasing the pale skin with a glide of his tongue. 

“Taiga-kun!” Tetsuya shouted, panic rising within him, but Ryouta pounced quicker than Tetsuya reacted, holding Tetsuya close and pinioning his arms to his sides. 

“Hm…what do you think? Should I turn him into a mindless servant, or should I just drink him dry?” Shirogane hissed. “If I turned him into a vampire, then I could order him to bleed you. Wouldn’t that be amusing?”

“Tetsuya!” Seijuro shouted, order urgent in his bright eyes. “Return to Seirin!”

Tetsuya would never willing leave Taiga behind in the middle of the battle, in enemy hands, but Seijuro’s command held no credence when leveled against that of his master. 

Shirogane hummed, disappointed, glancing down at the shorter Seijuro. “Hm. So you are not the Pure’s dominant master. Pity. I was hoping your supernatural urges had gotten the better of you.” He heaved a heavy sigh. “But your master is here, isn’t he, Kuroko-chan? He must be if you’re not answering my commands. Tell me, child. Who bit you?”

“No one in Teikou would dare harm Kuroko,” Shintarou challenged. 

Tetsuya struggled against Ryouta’s hold. He wouldn’t allow Taiga to suffer the fate he had or an even worse one—an eternity under the ruthless claw of Shirogane. But Ryouta’s hold was too tight, too strong, that Tetsuya only managed to pump his legs in a futile attempt to escape. 

“No, he is here,” Shirogane purred. “It isn’t the big oaf, either.” Atsushi? “He took a few moments to put down but ultimately, gave no real struggle, not once I began to drink from his little pet. Delicious blood, that one. Lovely skin as well.”

Tatsuya? Tetsuya tensed, fists balling at his thighs. “If you’ve harmed Atsushi-san or Tatsuya-san, I will not rest until my silver slices through your entrails and leaves nothing but a cloud of ash in its wake.”

“Spitfire, aren’t you? I cannot wait to extinguish the flames within you, but at the moment, I will simply take your body in exchange for this pathetic slayer’s life.”

“It is you who will find your end here, Shirogane,” Shintarou growled, claws once more extended for battle. 

A werewolf at Shirogane’s feet snarled, and the vampires who retained their heads began to awaken as well, seeking out their missing parts and beginning to re-group in the shadows. 

“ _Don’t…don’t listen to him, Tetsuya…_ ” Kagami gasped, struggling to breathe in the suffocating hold. “ _Get out of here. Run._ ” 

Tetsuya refused, despite the deliberating fear consuming both him and Taiga. As his legs felt weak and numb, he looked toward Daiki, sending a silent plea to the vampire. He needed Taiga. He couldn’t lose him, not because of their blood seals and shared life force, but because like Teikou, Taiga was indispensable. Tetsuya had been forced to leave behind Teikou in order to ensure its survival, and it crumbled anyway, its members unable to stay together but unable to break their bond, seeking comfort and companionship elsewhere. If anything, they’d grown stronger apart, able to build upon the sturdy foundation they’d created at Teikou, but there was a part of them—including Tetsuya—that would never be whole without their first family. 

It was the hardest thing Tetsuya ever had to do—severing his bond with Teikou and walking away. He would never survive losing them—losing Taiga—again. 

Daiki must have seen something in his gaze, strong and determined, and agreed. Daiki loved Taiga, perhaps as much as Tetsuya, so he must have understood the fierce protectiveness Tetsuya held for his brother. That must have been the only reason he ordered in a cool, reserved tone, “Kise, let Tetsu go.”

“What!” Ryouta’s eyes snapped toward him. “But Aominecchi—”

“Do it.”

The air in the room stilled, as if time stopped, and Ryouta’s arms loosened about Tetsuya, the realization haunting each member of Teikou. Tetsuya felt their hard, reproachful stares, especially from Seijuro, who appeared stoic except for the slight widening of his own disbelieving eyes. Betrayal spoke a horrible story within them, but Tetsuya still took strength from Daiki, from all of Teikou through their bond, using it to overcome the exhaustion he felt from Taiga. He rung the hilt of his silver dagger and looked directly at Daiki, who met his gaze unflinchingly. 

“If you want to fight, then fight, Tetsu,” he ordered, and Tetsuya charged. 

*^*^*

 _Year Four_

It was easy for Tetsuya to blend into Ogiwara’s life. 

He enjoyed tagging along with Ogiwara to school and then practice, sitting on the sidelines and watching his best friend dominant the court. Tetsuya’s weak presence allowed him to go everywhere with Ogiwara, even sit next to Ogiwara’s desk during classes and get a glimpse of what life was like for normal middle school students. Classes, friends, school lunches, extracurricular activities—a part of Tetsuya mourned the life he would never have, but then lunch was disgusting. Tetsuya desperately missed Atsushi’s milkshakes, and though the teachers were firm and approachable, they lacked Shintarou’s dry humor and quiet, barely existent smile that always slipped through when Tetsuya figured out a tough mathematical problem or reiterated a particularly important text. 

Whenever Tetsuya thought of Teikou, his hand immediately dropped to his wrist, and a raw pain ached in Tetsuya’s heart more than his arm. Eventually, Ogiwara noticed, and he lent Tetsuya one of his wristlets, which effectively covered the wound. 

“Which one of them did it?” Ogiwara asked without any anger or malice. He seemed more curious than concerned, a casual arm thrown about Tetsuya’s shoulders as they walked home one evening. 

Though he would be eternally grateful for Ogiwara’s good nature—he never once questioned the validity of Daiki’s claim to vampirism—Tetsuya almost wished Ogiwara didn’t know, so he didn’t have to think of Daiki’s hungry eyes as he gulped down Tetsuya’s blood or his vicious claws as they tore through Haizaki. 

Then Tetsuya wouldn’t have to think that it’d been over a week since the battle at Teikou Tower, and Daiki still hadn’t come for him. 

Ogiwara let the matter drop as they entered the basketball court just before dusk, the same street court where they met almost five years earlier. He ignored the shiver that ran up his spine—not just from the memories but also a lingering chill that had been infecting his chest for a few days—and caught the ball Ogiwara passed to him. 

“One-on-one?” Ogiwara posed, mouth cocking a challenging smirk as he loosened his tie and shed his school jacket.

Tetsuya’s soft smile showed his affection. “I do believe Ogiwara’s skills surpass mine.”

“So? How else are you ever going to get better if you don’t play?” 

Ogiwara always knew how to bring out the best of Tetsuya—except Tetsuya failed to make a single basket during their several rounds, but Ogiwara never said a bitter word, still smiling at the very end as they both stood huffing and tired. 

“I bet your passes are still amazing,” and Tetsuya would have blushed if he hadn’t collapsed, legs and arms sprawled in every direction as he gasped in shallow breaths. “Do you still play with Daiki?” 

Ogiwara fell cross-legged next to Tetsuya, guzzling from his water bottle.

“It is unsafe for me to be out of the tower,” Tetsuya admitted, eyes remaining open so he didn’t have to replay the last time he stood upon this court, when the Fae accosted him and he actually angered Ryouta. 

“So I get why you can’t come at night—vampires and werewolves and whatnot, but what’s so wrong with the day?”

Tetsuya debated for a good minute about answering. Was it fair to tell Ogiwara about the supernatural races? Ogiwara was vulnerable, a human—a feast for vampires, a toy for werewolves, and a statue for the Fae. He shouldn’t lure Ogiwara farther into the darkness that was the supernatural races and their war, especially since Ogiwara only knew about it because he somehow spotted Tetsuya on the court the one day Tetsuya sneaked away from the Dark Claws. 

Their story would not have a good ending. Either one day the war would spill over to involve humans, Teikou would fall and Tetsuya would return to the Dark Claws, or…

A sharp pain forced Tetsuya to roll over and pull his legs to his chest. Ogiwara kicked him—hard. 

“Tetsu!” 

“I never knew Ogiwara-kun is so evil,” he winced. 

“You make me evil,” Ogiwara insisted, though he sounded amused if anything. “So why aren’t you safe during the day?”

“Werewolves can come out, but they have to be in their human or four-legged forms. And even so, there’s still the Fae.”

Ogiwara laughed. “Okay, I’ll bite. What are the Fae?”

“They are practically the only daytime creatures in the supernatural races,” Tetsuya replied finally replied. His head shot up, eyes scanning about the court as he felt a cool stinging on the back of his neck. “They seek to transform the world to fit their twisted version of beauty.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.” 

“Perhaps Ogiwara-kun should take a stroll in one of their gardens, speak to their statues.” 

“Why would I do that? Statues don’t talk.”

“Ryouta-kun believes otherwise.”

A hand dug into both their hair, ruffling it gently. “Kise is delusional.”

Tetsuya immediately tensed as the deep voice of the newcomer, though Ogiwara’s face broke into a wide, excited grin as he shot to his feet. “Daiki!” 

Daiki offered a kind, forced smile, even as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his black leather jacket. “Hey, Shige. Thanks for looking after Tetsu for me. I hope he didn’t drink all the vanilla extract in your kitchen.”

“My mom went crazy trying to figure out how we went through three bottles,” Ogiwara laughed, so careless and wonderful. “I kept telling her that I was making cookies for a bake sale, despite not using any flour or eggs.”

Tetsuya’s shoulders slumped. Though Ogiwara’s mother sometimes looked straight at him, she just never _saw_ him due to his weak presence, but that allowed him to enjoy his time at Ogiwara’s and not worry that he might cause his friend any grief. 

Still, it hurt to be forgotten again and abandoned to the shadows of society. 

“Are you okay, Daiki?” Ogiwara asked suddenly, trapping one of Daiki’s forearms in a tugging hold. “Tetsu said some really bad stuff went down at the tower.”

Daiki’s half-lidded eyes appeared tired in way that didn’t come from lack of sleep. “Yeah, we’re okay now. Things were…intense, for some time, but we got through it. That’s what a coven does, right, Tetsu?” He held out a hand to ruffle Tetsuya’s hair again, and despite his mind telling him Daiki would never hurt him, that Daiki didn’t want to hurt him, he flinched. 

Daiki’s eyes rounded, pained and bright, and he dropped his hand to his thigh. “Hey, Shige, it’s getting pretty late. Why don’t you head home, huh? I’ll bring Tetsu around next week.”

“No,” Tetsuya snapped, finding the strength somewhere to stand and snatch Ogiwara’s hand. “I want to stay with Ogiwara-kun.”

“Don’t you think we’ve imposed upon Shige and his family enough?” Daiki countered, soft but admonishing. “It’s time for you to come back to the tower, Tetsu.”

“I haven’t seen Ogiwara-kun in more than a year.” Tetsuya fidgeted with the black wristlet hiding the tiny red puncture wounds that had yet to heal completely. “I want to stay with him longer.”

Ogiwara glanced between him and Daiki before patting Tetsuya’s hand in a gentle assurance. “Tetsu, Daiki’s worried about you. Why don’t you go back with him, and we’ll meet next week here? We can reinstate our weekly streetball games.”

“Ogiwara-kun…” Tetsuya feared that if he went back to the tower, he wouldn’t be allowed to leave again. 

He tugged at his wristlet. 

Or worse. 

Similarly, Daiki rubbed the back of his neck. “Hey, Shige, can you give us a moment?”

“Sure, Daiki.” He lunged forward to give Tetsuya one last comforting hug before picking up his bag and hurrying to the end of the court. He waited by the gate’s entrance, close enough to watch but out of earshot. 

When the warmth of Ogiwara’s embrace faded, Tetsuya felt cold and alone, and it troubled him, especially since he’d always felt warm and secure with Daiki by him. 

“Look, Tetsu…” Daiki’s face scrunched in a tired grimace. “You know I didn’t want to bite you, right? And I would have come sooner, but Akashi wanted to make sure the tower was safe, y’know?”

Daiki’s voice spoke terse excuses and self-incrimination, but Tetsuya kept his eyes directed away from Daiki’s. Though Daiki always spoke more clearly through his facial expressions than his words, Tetsuya couldn’t trust Daiki enough at the moment to face him. 

“Damnit,” Daiki muttered, more to himself than to Tetsuya, it sounded. “Look, I get you’re mad at me, but I had no choice. I needed to become your dominant master, so you’d listen to _me_ and not Haizaki.”

Yes, he knew. It made perfect sense, and if anyone were to be his dominant master, Daiki would be the obvious choice. But he couldn’t take his hand away from his wrist or raise his eyes, and Tetsuya flinched again when Daiki grabbed his jaw and lifted it upward, so quickly that their eyes locked. 

“Come on, Tetsu! Say something!” Daiki demanded before fear glossed over his eyes and his hand slapped over his own mouth. 

The command was there, forcing Tetsu to whisper, “You promised you would never mark me or bleed me. You lied.”

The fact hung between them, bitter and raw. Teikou had been a sanctuary for him, a place where vampires lived, though they never harmed him. They cared for him, taught him, held him, and never once had he feared for his safety because he knew this one truth, this one promise that Teikou would never break. 

They would never drink from him, but Daiki had. 

It was worse than just the bleeding or the biting—Daiki forced him to watch as he took Haizaki apart piece by piece. Tetsuya knew he lived with vampires, vicious warriors who fought against rival covens for him, but he never imagined his precious if eccentric family could ever be so callous, so brutal. 

When Daiki spoke, his low voice sounded far away and strangled. “I know. I’m sorry, Tetsu, but I promise it won’t happen again. Let’s—Let’s just go home, all right? Before the others worry.”

He lifted a hand to Tetsuya, who all but shuddered by its proximity. Firming his back, Tetsuya replied, “No. I’m staying with Ogiwara. I’ll come back when—”

“Shige is only human,” Daiki challenged, the faintest edge hardening his voice. “He can’t protect you, Tetsu, and you’ll be only putting him in harm’s way if you stay. You have to come back to Teikou.”

“I will,” Tetsuya affirmed. Teikou was his coven and his home, but at the moment, he wanted time to adjust, time to understand what happened and what it would mean to him and Teikou. So he bowed slightly as was due for one’s master and regarded Daiki with the respect he deserved, “Aomine-sama, I wish to spend more time with—” 

“Cut the shit, Tetsu.” His voice harsh and relentless, Daiki meant to scold. “It’s not safe out here. You’re coming back to Teikou now.”

“I’ve been with Ogiwara-kun for almost a week now, and not once did—”

Daiki met his eyes with a vicious gleam. “This is not a discussion, Tetsu. You are part of our coven, and you will come back to Teikou _now._ ”

The harsh tone of command pierced Daiki’s usually easy-going voice, and this time, Daiki meant to order, Tetsuya knew. It wasn’t just a flippant remark or an earnest request. He commanded Tetsuya, as his blood servant and a Pure, to return to Teikou with him, and just like that, Tetsuya’s fears were realized. 

Despite the hot, frustrated tears slipping down Tetsuya’s cheeks, he followed Daiki off of the basketball court and into the busy city center of Shinjuku. He’d only managed one word as he passed Ogiwara, who shouted, concerned, “Hey, Tetsu! Let’s meet up next week!”

“Yes.”

Daiki, thankfully, did not refute it.

*^*^*

_Now_

Tetsuya’s battle cry sounded like it came from someone else, but he was a furious warrior with a bloodied blade, tearing toward a powerful and domineering enemy. He was determined to beat Shirogane, who threw Taiga to the side and dove to meet Tetsuya with an eager leer, lips forming a wide, sadistic smile. Tetsuya slashed first, but Shirogane avoided the attack with a back flip and then kicked, hitting Tetsuya directly in the stomach. Tetsuya flew back and managed to right himself, just in time to duck Shirogane’s swipe. 

“Kurokocchi!” Ryouta cried, and out of the corner of his eyes, Tetsuya saw Ryouta and Daiki coming to his aid. They didn’t reach him by the time the doors to the hallway burst open, revealed a bloodied but still breathing Atsushi and Tatsuya, the latter of whom scooped up Taiga as Atsushi fought the advancing yellow-eyed vampires.

“You will learn how cruel my claws can be!” he shouted, but his defense lasted barely a moment before the opposing vampires sliced his arms and went for his legs. 

A few lunged for Ryouta and Daiki, stopping them from helping Tetsuya while Seijuro ducked under Taiga’s free arm to help him escape the fighting. Shintarou rushed forward, ready to aid Tetsuya, but Shirogane pivoted, avoiding Tetsuya’s swipe and allowing the blade to travel past his arm. Tetsuya stopped short, his silver dagger poised to pierce Shinatrou’s chest, but the sudden hesitation left his neck vulnerable. 

“Tetsu!”

“Kurokocchi!”

“Kuroko!”

“Kuro-chin!”

“Tetsuya!”

Tetsuya let out a silent cry that somehow resounded through the room when an acute pain shocked his body numb. Unlike his father, who refused to bite in Tetsuya’s flesh and instead chose to bleed his sweet blood to drink, Shirogane Eiji buried his fangs mouth deep into the crook of Tetsuya’s neck, where the pale column met the once pristine shoulder. Now blood oozed between Shirogane’s teeth and dribbled down Tetsuya’s collarbone, forcing the young mortal to arch his back in attempt to free himself.

But it didn’t work. Shirogane wrapped an arm about his torso and held Tetsuya close, so he could drink from the precious vein. Familiar sensations swept through Tetsuya like the refreshing cool rain on a summer day, but Tetsuya refused to give into the forced pleasured unlike when Daiki bled him. He trusted Daiki. Even when they fought, even though he’d said otherwise, a part of him always knew Daiki’s bite was to protect him against Haizaki, but Shirogane had no aspirations other than subjection, procreation, and most likely death. So even as the lightheaded and pleasurable sensations weakened his legs and threatened to drag him unconscious, Tetsuya managed to spin his blade about and swipe at Shirogane’s arm. 

Shirogane gained even more speed, thanks for his own blood, Tetsuya realized balefully, and after disengaging his teeth, the vampire spun Tetsuya and kicked, slamming the mortal into a nearby wall. The immediately pain in his back subsided after a few seconds, but every vampire in the room stared savagely at him. His sweet, alluring scent accosted their senses and delivered one command: feed. Shintarou, only steps for Tetsuya, froze in his place, his usually cold eyes wide and trembling as they took in the deep crimson pooling upon Tetsuya’s pale shoulder. His tongue made the only motion, swiping along his bottom lip in anticipation of the delicious blood. 

Tetsuya pushed back against the wall and glanced about, only to find his dagger a little more than five feet away, and even if he could reach it, he would never use it against his coven. Finally, one of the Dark Claws gave into his urges and lunged, but Shintarou, ever dependable, pivoted and delivered a crushing blow. That snapped the collective trance, restarting the battle, but Shirogane’s true purpose had already been realized. As Tetsuya lunged for his dagger, his eyes met the vampire’s for a brief moment, and it was long enough for Shirogane to command, “Come.”

The bonds of his status tightened upon him once more, and this time, Tetsuya had no choice to obey, even though he walked in a haphazard, awkward stride, like a marionette who tried to cut his own strings. Though he felt the stinging on the edge of his eyesight, he clenched his teeth and let out of primeval growl. 

Shirogane smirked with all the haughty pride of a master who finally broke his prized stallion and ran his tongue from the bottom tip of Tetsuya’s earlobe, down the quivering flesh, and over the curve of Tetsuya’s bare shoulder. 

Tetsuya struggled, but even with the combined strength of Teikou pulsating through his veins, he was powerless to escape Shirogane’s relentless hold or his gentle but perverted tongue as it glided not only over his harmed flesh but also his nerves, igniting every single one. 

“Hm…your taste has changed, Tetsu-chan,” Shirogane hissed, red spittle flinging from his lips. “It’s still tempting, still delicious, but your blood seal has polluted its flavor. Your blood is no longer fully _pure,_ it seems, but a mixture of human and supernatural blood. We can’t have that, can we?”

Crippling dread swirled in Tetsuya’s gut, and his legs weakened, their strength stolen by the curse he was about to unleash. 

“ _S-Sei-san,_ ” he whimpered, his cheeks glistening as he fought unsuccessfully against the arm about his waist and the one about his head, holding his neck exposed and bloodied. “ _Daiki-s-san…please…_ ” 

“Hold on, Tetsu!” Daiki swiped clean through one vampire, only to be met with another vampire. “I’m coming!” 

Shirogane continued to lap up the precious blood while he assaulted Tetsuya with vicious, angry words, his tone teetering between civilized and manic. “Oh, I would love to keep Kagami around, especially to pacify Alex—”

Tetsuya jerked then and almost managed to break free, but Shirogane brayed, low and commanding, “Stop struggling. You are mine now.”

Tetsuya listened but bit out through clenched teeth. “Where’s Alex-san? What have you done with her?”

“Don’t worry. She’s alive, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Shirogane eased, pressing an unwanted hand against Tetsuya’s jaw. “And she’ll stay that way for as long as I need her to, but I can’t have Kagami dirtying your taste and stealing the power reserved only for me.” His lips sent Tetsuya up on his toes as he mumbled against the leaking skin. “I’m going to drink just enough from you to steal Kagami’s life force, and then I’m going to enjoying carving the blood seal from your flesh.”

“Sei-san!” Tetsuya cried. 

Seijuro, protecting Tatsuya and the bloodied Kagami, found Tetsuya’s eyes, a fierce look of anger contorting his face. His yellow eye glowed in the shadows of the living room, but as he took a step forward, Tetsuya mouthed, “Taiga-kun.”

Seijuro looked between Taiga and Tetsuya before his face smoothed in understanding. He never hesitated, only fell to the floor and stole Taiga from Tatsuya’s protective hold. 

“They can’t save you,” Shirogane said, gripping Tetsuya even harder. 

“No, but they will save Taiga-kun,” Tetsuya assured, a smile somehow in his voice, even as he watched himself damn Kagami to an eternity of pain and suffering. 

Seijuro sunk his teeth into Taiga’s neck, forcing his own blood into Taiga’s bloodstream, and for a moment, the world stilled. As if punched in the gut, Tetsuya tossed his head back, struggling to breathe as his own body began to lose the comforting warmth it had come to depend upon. His blood seal burned with the cold fury of the arctic frost, and Tetsuya let out a silent scream as he lost a part of his soul. 

Tetsuya’s mind went numb and dark; a strong pair of arms swept his life body into the air. Tiny electrical sparks broke upon his clammy skin, the feeling of a new vampire entering his proximity. He turned his eyes to the side to see Taiga sitting between Seijuro and Tatsuya, blinking as he regained awareness. Tetsuya wanted to see him, wanted to touch the dying warmth upon his skin one more time, but then a menacing and familiar growl tore through the room. A blur of white and black filled his vision, knocking him from Shirogane’s painful grasp. He barely kept his eyes open when his back hit into the floor, but moments later, tiny licks teased his fingertips, keeping him conscious. A saddened whine sounded just by his ear while soft but wet fur pressed against his cheek.

“Nigou…” he whispered as his hands sunk into the bloodied fur.

Nigou took his place before Tetsuya, growling at the rising Shirogane, and Tetsuya tensed, searching for his silver dagger to fight when Taiga soared over his and Nigou’s heads, pounding his fist over and over against Shirogane’s face, not relenting for even a moment. But then Shirogane caught his wrist and twisted, sending Taiga to his knees. 

“I must congratulate Sei-chan for breaking his own rule,” Shirogane proclaimed, laughing at the pain contorting Taiga’s face. “He swore to me that he would never create a vampire, and now he has. I cannot tell you how this pleases me.”

Seijuro came up behind Tetsuya, clamping a cool arm about Tetsuya’s waist and helping him to his feet. “You cannot hope to win against Teikou.”

“Look around you, Sei-chan. You must see what I see.”

Shintarou, arm thrown about his torso, bled from various wounds as he attempted to take on three vampires at once. Ryouta and Daiki fought back to back, but they, too, seemed winded and losing steam, no longer ripping limbs from their enemies but simply fighting to stay alive. Tatsuya knelt by Atsushi, cradling the giant vampire’s head in his lap as crimson seeped from numerous wounds. 

Teikou had fallen…again. 

“Do not despair,” Shirogane soothed, patting the back of Taiga’s trembling hand. “You will survive. Those who are loyal to me will always have a place at my side.”

“I’d rather die before I swear loyalty to you.”

“Well, then it’s a good thing you don’t have a choice, isn’t it?”

Tetsuya glanced toward Seijuro, who refused to make eye contact with him. It didn’t make sense. If Taiga was bitten by Seijuro, then why would he be loyal to Shirogane? He’d be loyal to Seijuro…unless…

The first of many silver daggers flew through the air, forcing Shirogane to release Taiga to avoid them. One after another they attacked, not allowing Shirogane to stop moving until he stood on the very end of shattered window, Shinjuku stories below him. 

“Unless you can turn into a bat, this ends now,” a new voice declared, and Tetsuya smiled despite himself. 

In the doorway of the penthouse barged the Seirin Slayers, led by Riko and Hyuga, who’d thrown the daggers. Izuki and Kiyoshi wielded their own sharp blades, rushing to Tatsuya’s side and eliminating his enemies in a cloud of dust. 

“We are dustbusters, Kiyoshi!” Izuki exclaimed, while Kiyoshi shook his head. “But we own a Roomba, Izuki. So we don’t need to be.”

Kazunari, who must have gone to their clan, materialized at Shintarou’s side, instantly slashing through the remaining vampires before tugging Shintarou’s arm over his head and cradling his crimson-coated torso with the utmost care. 

“See what happens when you fight without me, Shin-chan?” he admonished, pressing his lips against Shintarou’s bruised neck. “I’m practically your lucky charm.”

“Are you magically delicious?” Izuki added quickly.

“Izuki! Why hasn’t a vampire put you out of your misery?” Hyuga’s strong voice carried across the room. 

Daiki took off immediately for Tetsuya, coming to protect him with Seijuro, while Nigou growled in front of Taiga. Furihata, Kawahara, and Fukuda knelt by Taiga’s side, grabbing his arms until they flinched at the ice cold feel of his once radiating skin. 

Their senpai, Hyuga, Riko, Mitobe, and Koganei went to confront Shirogane, who ignored them completely to stare entirely at Tetsuya. “You will serve me, Tetsu-chan. It is an inevitable if not imminent.”

“You’ll never touch him again,” Taiga vowed, but Shirogane grinned. 

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“Don’t let him get away,” Riko ordered, and though the veteran slayers lunged, Shirogane jumped off the edge of the building.

Three new beings dropped down to the landing where Shirogane had occupied—the Rakuzan Coven, Tetsuya recognized. They’d been following Seirin and must have saw the battle. 

“Should we go after him?” Nebuya asked, quite breathless, but Seijuro shook his head. 

“You won’t be able to catch him.” 

_Not with my blood fueling his movements_ , Tetsuya cursed, but for the first time since he left the basketball court, he could breathe. He equally collapsed against Daiki and Seijuro, and then the cool glide of tongue, soothing and gentle, lapped up the excess blood upon his neck and cleaned his wounds. Unlike Shirogane’s perverted touch, Tetsuya relaxed under Seijuro’s skillful ministrations and selfishly took comfort in perhaps the greatest memory he had—the day Teikou came and saved him from the Dark Claws. He remembered very little of that day, except Seijuro’s gentle touch, his broken body cradled in the leader’s protective hold, and the cool tongue that cleaned all the places the Dark Claws had dirtied. 

Now, Seijuro stopped, tongue still upon Tetsuya’s shoulder, widened eyes locked upon Tetsuya’s, but as he slowly detached himself from Tetsuya’s skin, Tetsuya thought Seijuro looked rather adorable, like a guilty child who’d been caught doing something wrong. So Tetsuya pressed a tender kiss to Seijuro’s open lips, ignoring his own metallic taste upon Seijuro’s tongue and the tick of Daiki’s disapproval. He lifted up his shaky hand, spreading his fingers in the thick red locks, and then pressed his warm forehead against Seijuro’s cool one. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, _for caring for me and saving Taiga-kun._

Taiga!

Tetsuya turned from the uncertain expression on Seijuro’s face to find Taiga approaching, having already pushed away Furihata and the other younger slayers. His usual bright and jovial disposition was absent, the distinct pallor of the vampire now adoring his face. Tetsuya could have dealt with that—he was part of a coven after all and loved the vampires within it—but Taiga’s warmth, his torrent of emotions and sturdy presence, slipped away from Tetsuya as Taiga’s body stopped creating its own life force. 

Blood seals only worked between mortals because they produced their own blood, allowing for a tether between life forces, but the moment Taiga became a vampire, Tetsuya had felt the severing of their souls. 

He’d lost a part of himself, even though Taiga stood before him, those kind eyes nothing but mournful, lacking any anger toward Tetsuya. That was all right. Tetsuya hated himself for the both of them. 

Tears stung his eyes and wet cheeks. Even though he didn’t have Taiga in his head, granting him permission, Tetsuya knew it was all right that he pressed his flushed face against Taiga’s chest and lamented the scorching heat that now faded into a penetrating chill.

“ _I’m sorry,_ ” he sobbed, over and over. “ _I’m so sorry…”_

Kagami said nothing, just wrapped Tetsuya in the soothing coldness he’d known most of his life, and Tetsuya selfishly took comfort into it.

*^*^*

_Year Four_

Teikou Tower suddenly didn’t feel like home anymore. The living room was void of any furniture, so his and Daiki’s footfalls echoed off the recently painted walls. It appeared as pristine as the first night Tetsuya came to live in the tower, but the blood remained in his mind—splattered upon the floor, accented by the sound of snapping bones and tearing flesh. He closed his eyes, fiddling with his wristlet, but Daiki noticed, letting out a gruff cough. 

“Hey, look, Tetsu. Can you not tell the others about that?”

“Where are the others?” 

“Kise went to have a talk with his mother since Murasakibara dumped Haizaki in her garden, and he somehow made it in with the Dark Claws. Murasakibara has been out feeding endlessly—even more so than usual—as per Midorima’s orders. He hasn’t healed quite as quickly as usual.”

But vampires healed quicker, bones in hours, gashes in minutes. It had been over a week since the battle. How hurt had Murasakibara been to still be healing?

“Midorima has been working on reinforcing the defenses, which means clicking away on his computer? I don’t know how that makes the place safer, but—”

“And where is Sei-san?” Seijuro always granted him a calming, reserved smile that made Tetsuya feel comfortable, safe in Teikou, like no one would ever bleed again, even in a coven full of vampires. 

Daiki didn’t anymore. 

The vampire shrugged, not meeting Tetsuya’s eyes. “I’m not sure where he went. Maybe Kirisaki Daichi? There were werewolves in that attack. Anyway, why don’t you go to your room? I’ll see if Murasakibara made some milkshakes.”

“Is that a command?” 

Daiki flinched, but when he glared down at Tetsuya, there was nothing but anger in his usually bright eyes. “No, Tetsu, I—” His upper fangs clicked against the bottom teeth. “Y’know what? It is. Go to your room, and I’ll bring you whatever we have.”

Tetsuya didn’t fight the command this time, relieved to be out of Daiki’s presence, even for a little while. Someone remodeled his room, moved his bed to the opposite wall, closer to the door and now facing the window, giving him a better view of the sunsets. A gentle, sky blue color adorned his walls, and his missing TV, laptop, and game consoles left empty spots around the room. Someone stacked a few extra books on his shelves, like consolation gifts, and Tetsuya laid down on the bed, gazing out the window at the night sky. 

The door to his room opened, and Tetsuya made a point of not looking at Daiki. 

“Welcome home, Tetsuya.”

Tetsuya whirled toward the door, where Seijuro stood, holding a take-out milkshake from what appeared to be Maji Burger. “How was your visit with your friend Shigehiro?” 

Tetsuya flipped his legs over the edge of the bed and accepted the shake. “Despite the fleeing-from-the-tower-for-my-life aspect, I enjoyed seeing him again. He…has not changed.”

_He still sees me and is so warm, bright._

“Daiki told me earlier he trusts the boy explicitly and believes he will do anything to keep you safe. That is an ally we need at this time.” Seijuro paused, if needing a moment to say, “I do apologize that you had to leave the tower, but Daiki was right to send you away.”

“What happened, Sei-san?” Tetsuya asked, taking a sip. His eye flew wide as the delightful taste of vanilla tingled his tongue. 

“So I see you approve of my choice in milkshake.” Seijuro sounded almost as if he laughed. Almost. “I heard of this new restaurant from one of the new slayers in Seirin. He said the cheeseburgers are also acceptable, but I thought we’d put it through the milkshake test first.”

Tetsuya eventually ended the sip, though he immediately mourned the vanilla goodness no longer on his tongue. “I do approve, Sei-san.”

“I’m glad.” 

The coolness upon Tetsuya’s hand startled him, and he glanced down to see his fingers entwined with Seijuro’s. 

“We were attacked, Tetsuya. The Dark Claws, the same ones who bleed you, have recruited more vampires, werewolves, and even some Fae. It is a dangerous time, Tetsuya. The war is escalating, and I do not like the future I see.”

“You believe Shirogane-sama is creating a formidable army?”

A raised eyebrow questioned the “sama” but chose not to address it. “I believe the last attack proves he has formed one. You may have to spend a few nights with Shigehiro in the coming months as we do not want a repeat of the last battle.”

Tetsuya agreed, his hand squeezing Seijuro’s tighter. “You promised to teach me to fight.” 

“I will not make you more of a target than you already are.”

“I do not believe that is possible.”

Seijuro let out what suspiciously sounded like a chuckle, but when he spoke, his voice was gravely serious yet oddly tender. “Teikou will endure, Tetsuya. Of that, you need not worry. The coven has lasted more than a hundred years, and I will ensure its continued success.”

“How?” 

When Seijuro didn’t answer, Tetsuya glanced over to see the leader’s glowing eyes, one a candle-lit yellow, the other a bewitching scarlet. He still said nothing, only offered a gentle but twisted smile and ghosted Tetsuya’s exposed neck with the tips of his fingers. 

Tetsuya shivered and sipped his milkshake, but did not pull away. 

_To Be Continued…_


	13. Custody Battles

_Now_

In terms of slayer clans, Seirin was new, a rarity even. Humans tended to look away from the profane, such as vampires and werewolves and the like, and instead embrace lies because they couldn’t handle the surreal truth. That’s why slayers were so unique. These humans saw the supernatural races and even judged them, slaying not just vampires but also werewolves, the Fae, anyone who harmed their vulnerable people. Vampires tended to do the most harm, which was why the term “vampire slayer” was coined in modern society, but slayers killed anyone whom they deemed unjust. 

That sense of justice was handed down generation to generation. Clans usually procreated from within, taught daughters and sons alike to see the supernatural races and how to kill them, and so the cycle continued for hundreds of years or until a clan was completely wiped out, which happened quite frequently during the first supernatural war. 

The Dark Claws were merciless and vile, slaughtering clans and covens and packs, anyone who stood in their way, and from the ashes of more than one coven rose Seirin, thanks to the leader of the once proud Aida Clan. Kagetora and his daughter gathered children who survived the slaughter of other clans, brought them to Tokyo, and created a new and quite powerful slayer set. 

Seijuro, himself, originally wondered about its strength. Perhaps, looking back, he had right to, but Seijuro owed the Aida Clan a debt he could never repay. And so when Seirin rose to be one of the dominant clans in Tokyo, in Japan, Seijuro allowed their presence and even embraced their methods. After all, a coven’s sole purpose was survival, but at the time, many, including himself, chose the mantra, “Kill or be killed.” 

Even though vampires were immortal, they could die by silver, by beheading, by a number of methods, but they usually took others with them. And a single death could cripple a small coven with fewer members to share the agony of loss. Even Teikou, though strong, could be defeated with the right battle strategy. 

A battle strategy, Seijuro had no doubt, Aida Riko could create. She was young, only a year older than Tetsuya, but fierce and smart. Seijuro didn’t fear—it wasn’t within him to do so—but he made sure to be cautious around her. 

So when Riko offered sanctuary within Seirin’s stronghold to the wounded Teikou Coven, he accepted. The clan cared deeply for Tetsuya (and Taiga, Seijuro added belatedly), and Rakuzan had worked amicably with them in the past. 

Unlike Teikou who created a stronghold in the sky, Seirin took to the backstreets of Harajuku, a place known for youth culture and fashion, boutiques and cafés. For such a young clan, it seemed like a perfect hide-out, among the youth of their time plus numerous places to blow off steam after particularly hard battles. Seijuro kept the joke to himself as he saw the Maji Burger less than three streets away from the den’s entrance. Tetsuya really liked his milkshakes. 

The clan’s den occupied the backrooms of a gym and work-out facility, complete with saunas, pools, and state-of-the-art equipment. No wonder the Seirin Slayers were able to battle their supernatural counterparts. They must use the facilities to train day and night.

Rakuzan formed an uneasy agreement, at least for the moment, with Seirin as Teikou and its injured allies limped into the hideout. Riko ordered Taiga to bring the unconscious Tetsuya, who passed out almost immediately after the fight, to the infirmary. Nigou followed closely behind, a constant, concerned whine sounding from his belly, Seijuro and Daiki a step behind him. All of Teikou no doubt wanted to follow—as well as all of Seirin—but at the moment, Seijuro proclaimed only essential slayers and vampires would be allowed in the recovery room.

That included he, as the leader of Teikou—or so Seijuro told himself; Taiga as Tetsuya’s once bonded brother; Riko as the medic and leader of Seirin; and Daiki, Tetsuya’s dominant master. 

Though Seijuro fumed with the new knowledge that it had been Daiki, one of Teikou’s own members, who had bitten Tetsuya, he kept his rage silent for the moment, for there were more important matters to address.

The infirmary was bright and well-equipped, perhaps only second to Teikou’s own chambers, and after Taiga placed Tetsuya upon the first bed like a precious younger brother, Riko fluttered about, cleaning out the wounds Seijuro hadn’t and dressing the ones that still hadn’t closed. 

Taiga sat like a wet cat at the side of the bed, his own wounds already healed thanks to his new vampire physique, and Seijuro finally understood Shintarou’s attachment to Kazunari, Atsushi’s to Tatsuya, and Daiki’s to his little vampire. Siring vampires created a bond that unnerved—but intrigued—Seijuro in a way. He could feel Taiga’s feelings, if not direct thoughts. He could sense Taiga’s presence, his life force pulsating inside his own heart, and where he used to be alone, in a way, he suddenly felt connected to Taiga with such an intimate tether that he almost felt violated, but he didn’t. He felt comforted—and possessive. 

But the tender glint in Daiki’s eyes as he tended to Taiga, when Taiga wouldn’t tend to himself, made Seijuro stand off to the side and watch. Daiki cradled Taiga’s head in his large hands as he wiped off the excess blood from Taiga’s face. Seijuro was rather miffed he hadn’t realized this relationship before, but he saw how much Daiki cared for Taiga, how he tried to hide his relief of Taiga’s now immortality. So Daiki felt that strongly about Taiga. Well, then perhaps it was for the best that Taiga was turned now, as Daiki’s previous betrayal with Tetsuya would have prevented Teikou’s ace from biting his partner.

Riko came forward, obviously fighting back the tears, and lifted Taiga’s jaw, so she could glare down at him like an overbearing older sister. “Can Tetsuya do to you what he did for—”

“You know what that did to him.” Taiga sounded so distraught but resolved in his decision. “I won’t risk it.”

Seijuro’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing as Riko lifted up Taiga’s sleeve over his shoulder to reveal the blackened blood seal, void of the connection that once brightened both Taiga and Tetsuya’s skin. 

Riko brushed back Taiga’s head and pressed a kiss to his forehead. She flicked it and left before the sobs came. Daiki refused to leave Taiga’s or Tetsuya’s side, sitting on Tetsuya’s bed facing Taiga, speaking in a hushed but affectionate tone, one Seijuro heard Daiki use with Tetsuya. Daiki had something for spirted creatures, including humans. He liked to collect them, and Seijuro vaguely wondered if Daiki would ever break off and form a coven with his favorites. 

He banished that thought as he pushed off from the wall to come to Taiga’s side. He startled the newly transformed vampire with a firm hand upon his shoulder and glared directly at Daiki. 

“Leave.”

“Akashi—”

“You haven’t eaten since the battle. I’m sure Momoi has procured blood for you. Go feed while I tend to our new vampire.”

While the command started fierce, it ended rather encouragingly with a firm promise that Seijuro would watch over Daiki’s servant and his lover. Perhaps only that allowed Daiki to squeeze Tetsuya’s hand, kiss the top of Taiga’s head, and head off into the den. 

Alone with Taiga now, Seijuro found himself without words for one of the few times in his life—what could he possibly say to his newly sired vampire?—but he eventually found his bearings as Taiga’s trembling eyes met his. A part of Seijuro loathed the absolutely raw look in them, wanting to kill whoever put it there, and the other half wanted to reassure Taiga, so he never looked at Seijuro like that again.

Kagami Taiga, the mortal Seijuro wanted to slay and cut out his heart less than six months ago.

Now, Seijuro let out a sigh and decided demonstration was the best way to convey his message. “Stand.”

Taiga’s eyes widened even further, and Seijuro fought hard to keep his face straight at the overwhelming fear Taiga projected. Seijuro refused to rescind his command, though—Taiga needed to learn his place—and after a moment of hesitation, Taiga rose to his feet.

“Do not move.”

He lifted the hem of Taiga’s shirt for himself to examine the fully healed torso and after confirming it so, took a step back. 

“Do you understand the situation? Explain it to me.”

Taiga’s cheeks bloomed a rather deep shade of pink as he uttered, “You’re my master.”

“Yes.” That was all Seijuro needed for now. Well, that and to soothe the rapid nervousness that Seijuro felt from Taiga. “Though it is not polite to drink from another vampire, I do not have the time to search for prey or show you the proper way to dine at this time.” But newly-turned vampires needed to eat and new ones more frequently, like young children. So Seijuro held out his wrist and ordered, “Feed.”

Taiga wanted to disobey, Seijuro knew by the disjointed movements and the slow shaking of his head, but a direct command from his sire, he couldn’t ignore. Within seconds, he fell to his knees and grabbed hold of Seijuro’s wrist, biting into the vein close to the surface. 

The sharp sting followed by the ethereal cool sensation flowing through his body, were terrible reminders of Seijuro’s own dark past and his time among vampires before he became one of them. He internally shuttered, but he kept his hands steady, one balled in a fist for Taiga to feed and the other buried in Taiga’s disheveled hair for some sort of comfort. 

Despite his initial distress, Taiga calmed with each swallow, though a deep sadness settled in Seijuro’s—in Taiga’s—gut. He was a vampire, Taiga was realizing, but it was more than that. Taiga was _his_ sired vampire, and Seijuro would provide to him, even against his own instincts. He had enough blood to give Taiga, having fed right before the battle and having suffered few injuries. He also licked Tetsuya’s wounds closed, so the sweet blood of a Pure still lingered upon his tongue, teasing him with its promise of power and strength. But Seijuro restrained, as he always did, as he always would with Tetsuya.

Though was it hard. So very hard, and if it was anyone but Tetsuya, he probably wouldn’t have been able to resist his natural urges.

Icy tears dribbled upon Seijuro’s skin, dripping from Taiga’s cheeks before he stiffened, much like Tetsuya had when Seijuro fed the boy his blood as well. 

It wasn’t a blood bond, per se. The others couldn’t hear Taiga’s thoughts or share their emotions like he could Taiga—like he suspected Taiga could feel his, though Seijuro couldn’t feel his sire, so he wasn’t sure—but Tetsuya and Taiga, now both bonded members of the Teikou Coven, would be tethered again, a consolation for having lost each other so intimately.

Eventually, Taiga fell back on the hunches and gazed up at Seijuro with a look of skeptical worship, but despite the blood loss, Seijuro almost felt…giddy, if he were possible of such an emotion. He’d sired a vampire, one attached to him for all eternity, by blood and by bond, more certain than that of his covens’. 

But despite all his protective nature—despite wanting to safeguard Taiga—Seijuro wished by biting Taiga, he hadn’t damned the boy to a life of servitude at the hands of Shirogane. 

*^*^*

 _Year Five_

“Your presence isn’t _that_ weak.” 

Shoulders slumped on the edge of the court, Tetsuya sat crossed legged on the ground, fidgeting with his wristband once more. “It has been more than a month I’ve been staying with you, Ogiwara-kun.”

It was the longest he’d ever been away from Teikou since they saved him from the Dark Claws all those years ago. In the last few months, Seijuro sent him to stay with Ogiwara for longer periods of time, but never had it surpassed the initial week he’d spent with Ogiwara after that battle with the Dark Claws at Teikou Tower. 

Ogiwara snorted and tossed up the basketball, frowning when it thunked off the backboard and fell off the hoop. “But that doesn’t mean they forgot you, Kuroko. I’m sure they’re just busy fighting things that howl at the moon.”

“Most people don’t even see me. Only one of your friends has ever noticed me in your class.”

“Well, Mochida’s mother is a slayer, I think, but Daiki saw you that first night on the court when we were playing,” Ogiwara defended. “So did Ryouta and Sei.”

That was true. All of Teikou always saw him, remembered him, cherished him at one time, it seemed. But since he returned that night, they’d been disappearing more and more, leaving only one of their members behind to protect him, and that one was never Daiki. Seijuro, too, never seemed to be left alone with him, so either Kise or Momoi were his usual companions. 

When Seijuro couldn’t even spare them, then he’d send Tetsuya to Ogiwara’s for safekeeping and with the order—from Daiki—never to sway from this particular neighborhood. Apparently, Teikou had been able to eradicate all members of the supernatural races from Ogiwara’s neighborhood, but there was something else Tetsuya found out during his visits with his best friend. 

Daiki had kept his weekly basketball practices with Ogiwara. 

Tetsuya wasn’t jealous by any means, glad that he and his best friend had remained connected in a way through their surrogate older brother. He just wished Daiki would have told him. He could have passed messages to Ogiwara that were more personal than texts. Pictures and letters. Presents and stories. But instead, Daiki and Teikou sheltered Tetsuya, kept him locked away for the last two years like an endangered species, which Tetsuya supposed he was. 

He sighed and leaned back against the fence pole behind him, content to watch as Ogiwara went in for a lay-up. His best friend’s ability always amazed him, and now having watched him thoroughly during practices, both school and personal, Tetsuya saw Daiki’s impact. Ogiwara leapt like him, shot like him, dribbled like him. Ogiwara’s moves were all Daiki’s moves, and Tetsuya’s wrist throbbed for a moment. 

But he couldn’t stop the unconscious smile he felt tug onto his lips as he relaxed in the dying sun’s light. Daiki took care of Ogiwara like he’d taken care of Tetsuya, making sure none of the supernatural forces came after his other young charge, and perhaps, even in a way, he’d created a sanctuary for Tetsuya to enjoy, a tiny slice of haven in Tokyo where he could roam with fresh air and his best friend. 

Ogiwara snatched Tetsuya’s arms for a second, heaving him up despite Tetsuya’s sputtered protest. “Stop moping already! You’re with me now, and Daiki and Sei will be back for you sooner than you know. So let’s have some fun.”

“How about a little two-on-two?”

The challenging gruff voice with a thick accent piqued Tetsuya’s inspiration, and he glanced over his shoulder to see two boys, a red-haired giant with a cheeky smile that reminded him of Ogiwara’s and a dark-haired player with a cool demeanor and a mole under his one visible eye. 

“You up for it?” the red-haired player asked. 

Warning bells went off in Tetsuya’s head as he stared impassively at the two boys, the first one taking a step forward to pass the ball directly to Tetsuya, perhaps a little harder than any mortal could. 

And they could see him. 

Both boys looked directly at Tetsuya, which meant they were either of the supernatural races or children of slayers. If nothing else, they definitely weren’t vampires, or Tetsuya would have felt them approach with the usual crack of cool electricity upon his skin. 

A quick game of two-on-two would definitely show exactly what race these American returnees—Tetsuya guessed—were. 

Ogiwara met Tetsuya’s eyes and only smiled once he received the quick nod. “You’re on!”

*^*^*

_Now_

The Den of the Seirin Slayers, one of the newest clans in Tokyo, was impressive with a rather large living area decorated with sectional couches, state-of-the-art entertainment facilities, and a kitchen made for   
Taiga. As Daiki knew well, Taiga cultivated his culinary skills until they rivaled the top chefs in Tokyo, and Daiki enjoyed many dinners with his young partner on rooftops and back alleys, eating gourmet meals out of Tupperware. But then again, he loved everything about Taiga, a brash returnee with absolutely no manners (like Daiki was one to talk), no tact (Taiga all but sucked his face off the first time they kissed), and no fear (he couldn’t have cared less that Daiki was a vampire). 

In their world, only the fearless and strong survived, and though Daiki liked to think he was one of them, he lacked the resolve. After drinking once from Tetsu, he no longer could sink his fangs into any warm body, and even now, he sat upon the arm of a couch, sucking down a blood pouch directly in front of the mix of humans and vampires as they waited to hear from Seijuro. 

The humans appeared revolted as the annoying one—Izuki—commented, “Bloody marvelous?”

Daiki just glared at the short slayer who sat across from him on an ottoman, and Daiki vaguely wondered how much Taiga would hate him for killing Izuki Shun.

Fortunately, Hyuga, one of the clan’s leaders, took pity on the rest of them and slammed his foot into Izuki’s back. “Go get eaten by a werewolf, Izuki!”

“Uh, Hyuga, I don’t believe werewolves actually eat people,” Kiyoshi offered, which was not at all helpful if the collective moan among the Seirin Slayers meant anything. “They just maul people until they die.”

“Then you can go get bitten by a vampire!”

“I-Isn’t…Isn’t that what happened to Taiga?” the frightened rookie—Furihata, if Daiki remembered correctly—stammered. 

A collective, mournful silence descended upon the group, though Daiki couldn’t help but cherish the thought of his partner—lover, really—becoming a vampire. On multiple occasions the selfish thought crossed his mind to turn Taiga into a vampire, but he knew firsthand the effects of such a change. Though he never regretted the choice he made all those years ago on the streetball court, he wasn’t sure his charge felt the same way. After all, he cursed his own immortality every day he spent with Taiga. 

But now, he reached back to put a hand upon the leather jacket that he’d thrown over the spine of the couch. He’d grabbed it after spending the night with Taiga and left his own, which Taiga now wore it. He loved seeing it on Taiga and smelling his scent all over his once-human lover, protecting him from any vampire’s savage teeth. 

As he finished his blood packet, footsteps sounded closer, and he lifted his head to be met with Ryouta’s furious glare, darker and bloodthirsty in a way that Ryouta just never was. 

“You were the one who bit Kurokocchi,” he accused.

Daiki’s lips pressed in a thin line. There was no point in denying it. “Yeah, but that’s only because Haizaki—”

“No wonder Kurokocchi ran away!” Ryouta’s voice sounded squeaky, frantic, his eyes damning in their contempt. “What else did you do to Kurokocchi that we don’t know?”

“Me?” Daiki growled and stood, scrunching the empty blood packet in his hand. “You told him you would have rather he’d been found by the werewolves!”

“But Murasakibaracchi stopped cooking for him!”

“Eh?” Atsushi looked up at his seat on the couch across from Daiki where Tatsuya leaned against the large vampire’s form. “Leave me out of your argument. It’s too bothersome.”

“You did.” Ryouta swung toward him. “You ended up being Kurokocchi primary watcher, and you refused to cook for him, even vanilla milkshakes.”

Biting off a piece of his chocolate bar Tatsuya handed him, Atsushi looked away. “That’s only because Kuro-chin’s scent was too strong for Aka-chin to handle.”

Daiki huffed and crossed his arms but didn’t dispute the claim. As one who had tasted Tetsu’s blood, he understood the addictive nature of it. He managed to suppress the urges, separate himself from Tetsu long enough for them to all but fade, but he still remembered the sweet, flavorful taste and the rich, velvety thickness rolling over his tongue. 

“Akashicchi…fed on Kurokocchi?” Kise asked, voice distressed, fists shaking. 

“No,” Shintarou declared, pushing up his glasses as he walked forward but kept his fingers laced with Kazunari’s. “Akashi fought the cravings and never acted upon them.”

“Are we sure about that?” Daiki pointed out, crossing his arms and glaring at Shintarou, who returned his firm gaze until a rush of raw fear, anxiety, and other horrible emotions drowned all of Teikou in a sea of uncertainty. While the new presence in their coven’s bond was undoubtedly foreign, the gentle but tentative exploration burst into the cool flames of a vibrant being, one with intense strength and determination. 

“What is it, Atsushi?” Tatsuya asked, concern straining his voice as he gripped Atsushi’s arm, while Kazunari tightened his grip upon Shintarou’s hand. Ryouta instinctively reached out to Daiki, the closest to him, and gripped his wrist to keep standing. 

The new presence touched against Daiki’s essence in an intimate way, seeking comfort, and Daiki’s eyes widened considerably. His strangled voice slipped through his slack lips. 

“Taiga…?”

“Taiga?” Kazunari echoed, sharing a quick, knowing glance with Tatsuya before turning to Shintarou. “Taiga just joined Teikou?”

“It’s—It probably wasn’t his choice,” Ryouta admitted with a wincing grin, falling to the middle cushion of the couch. “Akashicchi didn’t really give me one when joining.”

“Eh, but you were kicked out of your last coven,” Atsushi grumbled as he accepted the bag of chips from Tatsuya. “You had no place to go.”

“I can always get by with my looks!” 

“Until you open your mouth,” Daiki chastised, still shaken by the raw fear that he’d felt from Taiga. He wanted to go to him now, but if he was acclimating to Seijuro as his sire—it was a private moment he shouldn’t interrupt. 

Instead, he reached back to grab Taiga’s jacket and pull it on, only to find it missing. But it had been there less than two seconds ago when he first started talking to Ryouta. Where could it have possibly—

“Shin-chan told me—”

“Takao!”

“—that Akashi found him learning to become a medical student and forced Shin-chan to drink his blood.” A heavy silence permeated the air, the foreboding question hanging between them before Kazunari asked, “Did he give any of you a choice to join Teikou?”

No, of course Seijuro hadn’t given them one, but like Shintarou, who at first didn’t know how _not_ to kill someone when drinking blood, or Ryouta who had been kicked out of covens and flutters alike, or Atsushi who despite his size was barely an adult when he became a vampire, and Daiki who had been “raised” by a horrible sire and forced to do terrible acts against humans and the supernatural races alike before Seijuro slew his master and brought him to Teikou— 

Seijuro offered him a hand, a lifeline in a world of so much pain and harm, and he’d never asked for anything in return other than loyalty. And he never abused that loyalty either. He cared for Teikou, fought for them, and would die for them if need be. And he never said anything more to Nijimura other than, “We have a new member,” and Nijimura accepted each and every new vampire in their wayward coven like a little brother. 

Perhaps that was why when the coven shattered, they couldn’t break their bond. Teikou had never been a normal coven. While all covens were family, Teikou had been more than that. It had been a sanctuary for them, a haven for those who had been unwelcomed everywhere else. 

“Even Kuro-chin wasn’t given a choice,” Atsushi muttered. 

“I gave him one when he was eleven,” Seijuro took control of a room the moment he stepped into one, and he sought out his coven with warm, crimson irises. “But perhaps he was too young to understand the ramifications of that choice. I was not going to let him escape a second time.”

He stood in the doorway and though he hadn’t been physically injured during the fight, appeared exhausted, carrying himself in an elegant but rigid manner. 

“Teikou collapsed because we blamed each other for our failings when it came to Tetsuya, and we all gave him reasons to run. That will not happen again.” It was nothing less than a scared order. 

When Seijuro walked forward him, Daiki straightened and thought perhaps Seijuro seemed lighter now, more open. Perhaps having sired his first vampire helped to make him see the true connection between their coven, but still, Daiki’s entrails liquefied in that piercing gaze. 

“You bit Tetsuya, Daiki, and scarred him,” Seijuro said with nothing but cruel fact. 

“No worse than you.”

Seijuro dipped his chin and shoulders, offering Daiki a formal bow. “Thank you, Aomine-kun, for your sacrifice for the coven. It must have been difficult the last five years bearing this sin alone. Rely upon us in the future, please.”

Daiki took a half-step back, losing all his bearings at Seijuro’s back-handed admission, but he somehow felt the urge to explain, for every member of the coven to understand he hadn’t wanted to bite Tetsu or hurt him and drive him away. He would have given anything, his own life, never to have felt the blazing heat, the subtle vanilla scent, and the smooth feel of Tetsu’s skin under his lips and fangs. 

“I can only assume that you bit Tetsuya to save him from Haizaki’s commands,” Seijuro offered for Daiki, facing Daiki with an absolving glint in his dual red eyes, “and then his charged blood drew out your bloodthirst, causing you to dismember Haizaki in front of him.”

Daiki said the only thing he could, “I’d do anything to protect Tetsu.”

“Yes, and for the coven and Taiga, who is now part of Teikou.” Seijuro patted Daiki’s shoulder as he stepped forward and whispered, “Tetsuya is resting. If you wish to see to check in on your other charge, now would be the time to do it.”

Without waiting for Daiki to answer, he walked past him and addressed the room. “Tatsuya-san, Taiga is still by Tetsuya’s side. I believe it is there you will find the common ground you have been missing.”

Tatsuya took his feet and bowed, albeit somewhat bewildered. “Uh…thank you, Akashi-kun.”

Seijuro then turned Shintarou’s partner. “Yes, Takao-kun, no one had a choice when joining Teikou because in a way, I believe we were all fated to be part of Teikou. But thank you for bringing Seirin to our aid.”

“For you, nothing, Akashi-kun, but for Shin-chan, anything.”

Seijuro took that in stride with a tiny nod before hitting Ryouta in the gut with his elbow as he passed. “And Daiki is correct in this matter, Ryouta. You were lucky to have found such a partner in Kasamatsu and a coven in Kaijo because no one else will tolerate you.”

“Akashicchi, you are mean.”

Daiki wrapped an arm about Ryouta’s shoulders and drew him close. “But we do, y’know? Tolerate you, so don’t cry. You’re not pretty when you do.”

“Aominecchi! You think I’m pretty?” Ryouta practically sparkled. 

Daiki growled. “Don’t tell Taiga, all right?”

Ryouta gasped then, and Daiki slapped himself in the forehead. Right. Ryouta didn’t know about— 

“You and Kagamicchi! Aominecchi, how could you not tell me!”

Riko entered the room then in sweats, hair freshly wet from a shower, and as she tucked herself into Hyuga’s side on the couch, Seijuro bowed to them as well. “Thank you for your assistance, Seirin. Perhaps we may share custody of Tetsuya and Taiga, as I know they are as important to you as they are to us.”

Riko sat up then, bowing to Seijuro in return. “Seirin was the one who proposed the Winter Pact. We are at your disposal, Akashi-kun, but it’s not just Taiga and Tetsuya we must to negotiate custody rights to.”

Seijuro’s smooth expression darkened, though Daiki doubted anyone other than the members of Teikou saw it. “I do not know to what you are referring, Aida-san.”

A light, endearing voice lured Seijuro’s eyes toward the living room’s entrance. “I believe the lady is referring to me…Sei-chan.”

*^*^*

_Year Five_

The sun hid behind the mountains before they ended their streetball tournament. Tetsuya collapsed to the pavement with the pleasant burn of a good game still lingering in his muscles while Ogiwara, and Taiga and Tatsuya—two brothers from America—followed his lead, falling to the now cool pavement and huffing from their fierce battles. 

By then, Tetsuya had forgotten about the war, about the vampires and werewolves who wished to kill or use him. He’d forgotten that the American returnees had seen him with Ogiwara, actually noticed him when so many others, including humans, never did. Instead, they’d talked and laughed and shared water bottles, changing teams at will. 

Taiga and Tatsuya played like Americans, all fierce and brash, and despite being fifteen already—a whole six months before Tetsuya—Taiga could dunk with the fury of Daiki. Tatsuya impressed as well with a mirage shot that always caught Ogiwara off guard. 

Tetsuya still battled well, trying his best to swipe the ball from Taiga but Taiga seemed to know where he was at all times, very much like Daiki or Ogiwara. A small smile found Tetsuya’s face before he could stop it, but then the overbearing fear, the callous truth of his position in the supernatural races, came back full force when Taiga rolled onto his side to scrutinize Tetsuya before his face brightened with a brilliant smile. “So it’s true, huh? There really are such things as the Pure.”

Tetsuya’s stomach plummeted, and despite his exhaustion, he bolted to his feet. 

“Wait! Tetsu!” Ogiwara shouted, but he needed to get out of there and find somewhere safe. But where? Teikou Tower was off-limits if Daiki and Seijuro dumped him here, and if Tatsuya and Taiga found him here, they probably would know where Ogiwara lived. 

Before he reached the exit, Tatsuya jumped over his head and cut him off, while Taiga cornered him from behind. He sized both up, deciding that Tatsuya would be easier to break through with a jab to the ribs, but Taiga snatched his wrist just before he lunged. 

“Stop! We’re here to save you!” 

Tetsuya blinked, taken by the screamed confession, and started at the frantic look on Taiga’s face. He appeared seconds away from losing all control and instead of releasing Tetsuya, slapped his massive hands over Tetsuya’s shoulders. They were shaking. 

“Seriously. We’ve been looking years for you. Throughout America and then in Europe. Our master—she taught Tatsuya and me how to fight—she lost her son years ago to this asshole vampire.”

“Alex is a vampire, too,” Tatsuya added, calmer than Taiga but still on edge.

“Yeah, but her kid, he’s mortal but different, like you!” Taiga continued, shaking Tetsuya back and forth with quick tugs. 

“He’s not different! He’s my friend!” Ogiwara shouted, swinging at Taiga, but as Tatsuya stepped away from the exit, ready to tackle Ogiwara before he reached Taiga, Tetsuya pivoted out of Taiga’s grip to stand between Ogiwara and Tatsuya. 

Ogiwara grunted in protest, “Tetsu!” 

“Wait, Ogiwara-kun,” Tetsuya murmured, slowly straightening his back and calming Taiga’s desperate expression with a tender, hopeful grin. “I want to hear more about this Alex and how you know I’m a Pure. You’re not vampires yourselves. I would know.” 

“By the electric zap on your skin.” Tatsuya approached, cautious. 

“You’re right. We’re not vampires.” Taiga crossed his arms and glanced away, as if ashamed for having led Tetsuya on. “We’re mortals, like you, but we’re part of a clan, the Seirin Slayers.”

“Our master taught us how to sense a Pure and feel the surge upon skin, even if it is faint.”

Taiga dominated the conversation, using his hands to animate certain parts of the story, from the basketball courts of L.A. where Tatsuya was attacked by a vampire—“Bit him right in the bicep! There’s not even a major nerve right there,” Taiga grumbled, lifting up Tatsuya’s sleeve to show the two tiny marks, which annoyed Tatsuya enough to smack his brother—to their time training under Alex, who saved them that day and took them under their wing—”She’s bat-shit crazy. Don’t tell her I said that.”

When Alex heard of the war in Japan and the cause was a Pure, she’d sent both Tatsuya and Taiga over to investigate, and they figured the best way was to join a clan. They loved being a part of Seirin and helping to safeguard Tokyo by killing the vicious werewolves, vampires, and Fae, but they never forgot their mission. Once they realized this small neighborhood in Tokyo had been eradicated of any supernatural races, including the clans—they came to see why. 

“And we found you!” Taiga exclaimed, once more gripped Tetsuya’s shoulders. “We’ve found the Pure!”

“Yeah, okay, so you found _a_ Pure,” Ogiwara interjected, leaning his elbow on Tetsuya’s shoulder, right on Taiga’s hand and forcing him to remove it, “but how do you know you have the right one?”

Tatsuya offered a tolerant smile that clearly said Ogiwara was not of their world. “There isn’t another one. Tetsuya is the only Pure. The last one was converted to a vampire more than a hundred years ago.”

“You can’t say for sure that there’s not another Pure anywhere else in the world.”

“No, Ogiwara-kun, they can’t,” Tetsuya replied, his voice sounding weak and frightened to his own ears, “but neither you nor I told Tatsuya-san my full first name.”

*^*^*

_Now_

Nigou was one intelligent beast, but he was a beast to Taiga. Sure, he protected both he and Tetsuya, and over the last few years, he’d come to respect and even like the monster furball. But he was a wolf, a beast—and a freaking weird one at that. After Seijuro left, Nigou walked up to him and began licking the tips of fingers before jumping up with a paw on either of Taiga’s knees in order to brandish his face with kisses. It took Taiga a moment to realize Nigou cleaned his face after the feeding, as vampires called it. Then, with one last lick, he trotted out the door, only to return minutes later with Daiki’s jacket hanging from his mouth. 

(Actually, Daiki took that jacket from Taiga’s closet one night but whatever.)

Nigou dropped it at Taiga’s feet and lay upon it, whimpering slightly as he kept watch. Taiga sighed and looked over at Tetsuya, who looked even more pale than usual. His scent also infiltrated Taiga’s nostrils, an overwhelming mix of vanilla and wet fur after the fight at the tower. Nigou, too, smelled of sweat and blood, and he needed a bath, which Taiga would give as soon as Tetsuya awoke. But for now, Taiga wrung his hands, remembering the words Seijuro spoke not ten minutes ago. 

“Things are going to be different now. Your senses will be heightened, your strength augmented. You can still eat, but you won’t crave normal foods as much as you will blood.”

Was that why he could smell Tetsuya and Nigou so strongly, or why he could hear the boot falls down the hall? They were familiar, in a graceful but strong stride of a slayer-turned-vampire, even though he’d never heard them as loud as he did now. 

Taiga wanted to freak out, especially after that line of ordering from Akashi Seijuro, his new master— _master! What the fuck!_ —but Tatsuya walked into the room then. His older brother offered a sad but indulgent grin. “It’s a lot to get used to, isn’t it?” 

“How’d you do it?” Taiga pleaded, hands balled into fists so tight that his nails dug into his skin. “How’d you decide to do this? I didn’t even want it, and—” 

“That’s why we haven’t been able to talk, Taiga.” Tatsuya took the seat on the bed Daiki previously occupied and tilted his head to regard Taiga with a weary expression. “No one wants to become a vampire, and if they do, they’re a sick bastard. I became a vampire to save you. You became a vampire to save Tetsuya. We do what we have to, to save the ones we love.”

Taiga flexed his hands, studying the new foreign palms, and murmured like a sacred prayer, “I would have died for him.”

“Of course. We adopted him on that streetball court five years ago.” Tatsuya smiled. “Like I adopted you back in L.A.”

“You’re only a year older than me, Tatsuya,” Taiga reminded with an exhausted smirk. 

“But that makes me the firstborn and Tetsuya the baby and you the middle child. I hope I haven’t neglected you.”

Taiga flipped him off. 

Tatsuya reached over to brush back the sleeping Tetsuya’s hair with a fond smile and gave Taiga’s a playful tussle, too. “You had to see this coming, Taiga. We were raised by a vampire, after all. Tetsuya was raised in a coven. We know the supernatural races aren’t soulless masses in an epic battle for superiority. They’re just like humans, trying to protect what is theirs—except for the occasional egomaniac. It was only a matter of time before we fell for vampires and converted.” 

Taiga sent him an irritated gaze before it softened, shoulders slumping in a defeated manner. “I missed you so much, Tatsuya.”

“I never left, Taiga. We might not be in the same clan—or the same coven—but I’m still here for you. I’ll always be here for you, and I can’t say I’m not glad you’re a vampire now.” With a fond smile, Tatsuya regarded the unconscious Tetsuya. “It would be wrong for us to—”

“Yes!”

“I was only—”

“No, you weren’t.”

“You’re a petulant little brat, aren’t you?”

“I am the middle child, or so I’ve been told.”

A light chuckle cut off Tatsuya’s sardonic reply, and Taiga looked toward the now waking Tetsuya, who pushed back against the head rest. “My apologies for the intrusion. Please continue,” Tetsuya deadpanned, but there was a certain humor to his voice. 

Taiga pounced like his name, first engulfing Tetsuya in a startling tight embrace until he noticed Tetsuya’s sweltering heat against his own chilly skin. But Tetsuya didn’t flinch, only pressed his face into Taiga’s broad chest and after a moment, murmured in a broken whisper, “I’m sorry.” 

Anger swelled in Taiga, and he slapped Tetsuya up the back of the head, much like Riko did every time they screwed up on a mission. “What the hell is wrong with you? Trying to take Shirogane on by yourself? Did you really think you could win?’

“I thought I’d beefed up my guns.”

“You barely have any!”

“Taiga-kun says the harshest things.”

“It was risky, Tetsuya,” Tatsuya admonished. “You shouldn’t have engaged him.”

Tetsuya’s face set in a cruel mask—or as cruel as his ever got. “I won’t run forever, Aniki. And I won’t let him take my family, vampire or otherwise.”

“Hm. I did hear Akashi-kun negotiating custody rights between Seirin and Teikou.”

Tetsuya now double-looked, pressing his hand upon Taiga’s heart. “You’re—You’re Teikou now…?”

Taiga smiled, placing his hand upon Tetsuya’s. “It’s not the same as blood seal, but we’re bonded again, if nothing else.”

“Hm.” Tatsuya crossed his arms and glanced away. “Must be nice. Atsushi refuses to bond with Yosen, and he refuses to let me, too.”

“Why does he have a say?” Taiga asked. 

Tatsuya’s look was anything but tolerant. “Taiga, he’s my sire. Of course he has a say. In fact, it’s all his say.”

“Really? I thought you were the parent in that relationship.”

Tatsuya didn’t even have the decency to look embarrassed. “Atsushi can be very overbearing when he wants, mainly when it comes to sweets, me, and our own bonding activities.”

Taiga’s face scrunched in a disgusted sneer while Tetsuya smiled pleasantly. “Alex-san is alive, though. We know that now.”

“You get to tell Akashi,” Taiga said quickly. 

Tetsuya’s sharp eyes scraped over Taiga before he blew out a quick breath. “Why do I have to tell him?”

“Because it was your idea to use your time at Teikou to draw out Shirogane, and it worked. And you and Akashi are a thing now, so—”

“What!” Tatsuya’s head whipped around to pin Tetsuya with his incredulous gaze. “You’re with Akashi Seijuro?”

Tetsuya shot Taiga the dirtiest look he could muster before pointing a determined finger at Taiga and saying in his toneless voice, “He has relations with Daiki-san.”

After a moment of stunned silence, Tatsuya threw up his hands. “I’m done with you two. Do either of you have taste?”

“Says the man dating an overgrown child,” Taiga remarked, only to be met with double hits in his gut. “Ow! You bastards! I’ve turned into a vampire today. Cut me a little slack here.”

“Taiga-kun,” Tetsuya’s voice shook, and he strengthened his resolve, forcing himself to meet Taiga’s questioning eyes. “Taiga-chan…you forgive me, right? You—I—If you want, I could—”

“Shut up, idiot.” Taiga palmed his head, cheeks tinged a fresh shade of pink. “It’s not worth the risk, and one day—you’ll forgive me, right?” 

Tetsuya smiled sweetly. “I believe you said you’d die for me, Taiga-kun. Was that just a lie?”

Taiga shoved his fingers into Tetsuya’s gut and didn’t even feel bad when Tetsuya doubled over. “You get to tell Seijuro because he owes you a debt he can never repay.” 

*^*^*

_Year Five_

Taiga and Tatsuya were suffocating, but after the first few days, Tetsuya began to appreciate their presence. Instead of having to stay by Ogiwara in class and act like his cat, lounging at his feet or on the window sill, Tetsuya hung out with Taiga and Tatsuya in the school courtyard or on the basketball court. They came to be known as the Asakusa Ghosts since any teacher who came to scold them about skipping lessons would only find an empty court. Tatsuya and Taiga excelled at disappearing as slayers, and Tetsuya, as a Pure, was always overlooked. 

One of them would bring Ogiwara a burger and Tetsuya a vanilla milkshake for Maji Burger, and at night, the brothers kept watch by Ogiwara’s bedroom window—one brother inside and one brother outside—because, “If we could find you here, so could vampires and others,” Taiga said one day when Tetsuya asked. 

“But it’s not your job to protect me.”

Taiga pinned Tetsuya with reprimanding glare. “My brother and I have been searching for you for years. We’ve crossed a freaking ocean and joined a clan. We’re not losing you now.” 

Tetsuya originally bristled but then relaxed when he saw Taiga lying upon the floor directly under the window that night, silver dagger in his hand. One of them always stayed awake, ready to protect him, and so Tetsuya sneaked into Ogiwara’s kitchen and brought back a few gyouza from the fridge. They kept their voices down so as not to waken Ogiwara, and sat side by side out of the window. 

“Hmm…not bad, but I can make an awesome gyouza myself,” Taiga muttered between bites. “Can you cook?”

“I make a mean boiled egg.”

Taiga laughed, and the noise was light and kind, despite the situation. “I don’t think that counts.”

“I do not need to know how to cook. Atsushi-san cooks for the whole coven.”

“Murasakibara Atsushi? Of Teikou?” Taiga’s eyes widened considerably, darting back and forth in a frantic pace. Was he…scared? 

Tetsuya nodded. “Yes. You didn’t know? I’m part of Teikou.”

“Part of a coven?” Now Taiga’s derivative laughter raked Tetsuya’s nerves. “A mortal can’t be part of a coven. They wouldn’t even survive the bonding.”

Tetsuya smiled, soft and sweet. “Thank you, Taiga-kun, for protecting me. Soon, you will hopefully be able to go back to your clan. Teikou will come for me, and then—”

“Don’t go,” Taiga beseeched in an urgent murmur. “Come to Seirin.”

Join a clan? Though he was certainly touched by Taiga’s offer—“I can’t,” Tetsuya said, and he meant it. “Teikou saved me, Taiga-kun. They’re my family. I can’t leave them.”

“They feed on you, Kuroko.”

“They’ve never fed.”

“They’ve bit you. I’m seen your wrist, and they left you with a mortal for a protection and not even a slayer at that.”

Tetsuya glanced toward the bed where Ogiwara slept soundly. He didn’t care that Teikou left him with a mortal. In fact, he preferred it that way. He relished being by Ogiwara’s side again, enjoying his light and his kindness, though he feared for his human friend. Ogiwara was nothing more than a human and hadn’t been tarnished by the sins of vampires, werewolves, or the Fae. 

“You belong in a clan, Kuroko,” Taiga insisted, hitting Tetsuya’s pale shoulder with his massive one. “The Pure were the first slayers, y’know. They rebelled against their vampire masters and sought help from humans who had also been attacked by vampires and later, by the victims of other supernatural races. A clan is where you belong, not a coven.”

“Says Taiga-kun, who was raised by a vampire.”

“It’s not the same!”

Tetsuya wrapped his arms about his knees, his socked feet fidgeting. He didn’t want to talk about clans and covens. He knew his existence was an anomaly in the supernatural races, let alone his placement in a coven, but he’d never felt unwelcomed in Teikou. At least, not until recently, and though he enjoyed Taiga and Tatsuya’s company, Teikou’s life force fueled his own heartbeat. 

“Tell me about Alex-san,” Tetsuya asked, genuinely curious. “What’s she like?”

Taiga’s face immediately brightened, and his movement became animated again. “She’s a monster. She attacks you if you are within reaching distance of her, and she crawls into your bed at night, naked, and huddles around you, calling you a battery. She refuses to put on clothes sometimes, and if you don’t get her fed by eight A.M. every morning, she goes—”

“Bat-shit crazy, or so I’ve heard,” Tetsuya finished when Taiga stiffened, Tetsuya’s fingers sliding up his neck. 

“Ahhh, Kuroko? What are you doing?”

“You said Alex-san attacks you within reaching distance, but I don’t see any bite marks.”

“Ooh!” Taiga laughed again, gruff but jovial. “The old hag doesn’t bite me and Tatsuya. She kisses us! On the mouth and everything, and it’s gross ‘cause—well, I’d say she’s the mother Tatsuya and I never had, but y’know, we had her, so…”

Shifting, Taiga looked at anywhere but Tetsuya, cheeks a delightful shade of pink, and Tetsuya wondered if this was what he looked like when speaking about his coven. They were family, just like Alex and Tatsuya were Taiga’s “coven,” in a way. 

Taiga eventually interrupted his thoughts by putting a hand upon Tetsuya’s head and ruffling his hair. 

A slipper came at them, but Tetsuya caught it right before it smacked Taiga in the face. “I’ve got a game tomorrow! Go to sleep!” Ogiwara yelled. 

From the other side of the window, Tatsuya shouted, “I agree!”

“Sorry,” the duo said in tandem. 

Once the two settled down again, Taiga took the slipper from Tetsuya and flipped it up and down in his hand. “Tomorrow, we’re starting training. We’re going to put those reflexes to good use.”

They continued to attend Ogiwara’s games and practices, cheering on the ace to victory, but then the four retreated to the streetball court, where Tatsuya and Taiga split into two teams, one playing with Ogiwara, the other teaching Tetsuya the basics of slaying. Every so often, Ogiwara would watch, cheering Tetsuya on, or even join in, learning a few moves himself. 

Then, one practice, Taiga placed a silver dagger in the middle of Tetsuya’s palm. Heavy and long, it felt foreign and cold against his skin. “This is your new lifeline,” Taiga explained, stare serious as he held Tetsuya’s gaze. “Vampires, werewolves, even the Fae cannot survive the touch of silver.”

This could…kill the Teikou Coven, his family?

No! This was wrong. He couldn’t, wouldn’t hold this deadly weapon, and as it tumbled from his shaking hand and clang against the silent pavement, he followed, collapsing on all fours. He belatedly heard Ogiwara’s worried shout and felt the clamoring hands upon his shoulders, demanding to know what was wrong when his stomach swirled with a queasy, sick sensation. His heart physically _hurt_ as if a void had opened in the middle and sucked all his warmth into it. 

Everything he ever ate ejected from his stomach in series of violent wretches. 

Something was wrong. The bond he held with Teikou was in pain, like it was dying. 

“Taiga!” Tatsuya, this time. He sounded worried, desperate. “Hyuga texted. He says there’s a coven headed this way! We need to move. Now!”

“Teikou…” Tetsuya rasped, hope helping to subside the nausea, even though his heart still ached. “It might be Teikou.”

His family. 

But Taiga scooped him up, one arm about his torso and under his arm, and another around his waist. “We’re not going to wait to find out.”

“No,” Tetsuya protested, but it was weak, his strength stolen by the injured bond. “I need to stay. I have to help—”

Cool electricity crackled upon his clammy skin. 

“Taiga!” Ogiwara’s shocked voice rang out, and Tetsuya jerked when Taiga stopped abruptly, feet from the exit that was now blocked by dark capes splattered with blood. Directly in front of them, a few wolves shifted into monolithic, towering monsters with large enough snouts to bite a head clean off. 

Clearly, this was not Teikou, and the already heavy knot in Tetsuya’s stomach tightened. 

“Down, boys,” an elderly, fond voice sounded, sending chills up the back of Tetsuya’s spine. The vampire ruffled the back of werewolves’ fur as he walked between the first two and stopped just feet from Tetsuya and Taiga. His gray hair and thin mustache conflicted the might Tetsuya knew the man held in that lithe body. “We don’t want to scare off our prey.”

Tetsuya swallowed down the bile that crept into his throat to rasp, “Shirogane-sama.”

_To Be Continued…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To answer your question, yes.


	14. The Living and the Dead (and Everything In Between)

_Now_

It had seemed so long ago that Seijuro marked Taiga for death for his vicious attack on Mibuchi Reo, for carving Reo’s heart out before allowing him to turn to dust. Since then, Seijuro had reclaimed Tetsuya, sired Taiga as a vampire (and perhaps owed him a debt he could not repay for saving Tetsuya), and battled against the reformed Dark Claws with the reformed Teikou.

So many things not even he, Akashi Seijuro, could have foreseen, and one of them was Reo, standing before him with his quiet, sincere smile that always made Seijuro feel like the cherished little brother, even though he was the leader of the coven. But that never mattered to Reo. He listened to Seijuro’s orders without question, but he always addressed him as “Sei-chan.”

Perhaps Hayama was apt to call Mibuchi “Reo-nee.” Perhaps Seijuro should start calling Reo something so familiar. 

But Seijuro wouldn’t allow himself to indulge in the hope that stirred in his chest even as he stared, struck silent, at the sight of a very much alive Reo, standing there in the black and royal red uniform of the Seirin Slayers, new silver daggers strapped to his thigh, bicep, and lower back. He wore his hair back in a short tail, revealing his gentle eyes and an exasperatingly fond smile. 

“It is impolite to stare, Sei-chan. I’ve taught you better manners than that.”

Seijuro ignored the wetness upon his cheeks and his suddenly blurry vision. A fine, involuntary tremor shook his entire body, which moved on its own, and Seijuro, usually the epitome of grace and elegance, stumbled to Reo, who met him halfway. Their hands clenched, claws held tightly by cut-off gloves, and Seijuro slid his fingers along Reo’s palms, up his wrists and forearms, confirming his presence. 

Reo encouraged Seijuro’s examination with a gentle smile before turning to the remaining slayers and vampires. “Sei-chan and I would like some privacy, please.”

“How is this possible?” he demanded in shocked wonderment the moment Shintarou, the last vampire, stepped out of the room. Tetsuya had given Seijuro bits of information, inklings and hope, but actually curling his own fingers about Reo’s smooth arms uncoiled Seijuro’s tightly reined control. “I don’t understand. Eikichi saw Taiga—”

Warm. Reo’s hands were warm, like a mortal’s, like a human’s. Seijuro’s eyes swiped over Reo, noticing the lively, supple skin where there had once been pasty, languid coloring. His eyes glowed with youthful brilliance, no longer sunken and dark from his tired disposition, but his smile remained the same, cajoling and easy. 

He indulged Seijuro, pressing his heated hand against Seijuro’s tear-stained face, and if possible, his expression grew even more tender. “Shirogane bit me and ordered me to attack Tetsu-chan. When I struggled against the command, Tetsu-chan bit me, too, and broke Shirogane’s order by turning me human again.” 

It was inconceivable, Tetsuya essentially bringing Reo back from the dead, but Reo stood before him, warm and kind and patient, drawing Seijuro against his generous warmth for an embrace. 

Seijuro pressed his face against Reo’s shoulder, selfishly hiding all the emotions that wanted to overtake his face, but Reo shushed him, trailing his fingers through Seijuro’s vibrant hair.

He couldn’t accept this fully, not until he understood just how it occurred. “But Eikichi—”

“—saw Tai-chan carve a heart from one of Shirogane’s followers, who had long black hair and a similar build.”

“But why would Taiga take the risk? He must have known Rakuzan would…”

Of course Taiga knew that Seijuro would mark him for death, but protecting Tetsuya would be his first priority. It had always been rumored that a Pure could turn a vampire human, but since there hadn’t been one in over a hundred years, no one knew for certain if Tetsuya could do it. And Seijuro had never taught him how because the toll upon the Pure’s body and mind was too great. 

Seijuro shuddered to think of what Tetsuya went through to save Reo, and again, he owed Kagami Taiga more than he could ever replay. Even though he saved Taiga, his sired vampire had been willing to accept a mark of death from Rakuzan, protect Tetsuya, and safeguard Reo. If Shirogane and the other Dark Claws had figured out that Reo still lived and was now human, they would have hunted him and made him pay for cutting off their first master’s head. 

Seijuro wouldn’t admit this to anyone, but he was grateful to have sired such a loyal and kind human as his own vampire. But he let that thought stray for a moment as he allowed himself the simple pleasure of Reo’s hand in his hair, and his arm wrapped about Seijuro’s neck, sheltering him from the world—and perhaps, even his own emotions. 

“It’s all right, Sei-chan. I’m alive. Everything will be fine.”

Yes, Seijuro was beginning to believe that, and perhaps, that was what he feared most. Reo lived. Tetsuya lived. He now had his own sired vampire, and Teikou, though damaged, was not broken. He had everything he needed to win this war, but no war was ever won without a price. An Akashi did not lose. Seijuro refused to, but what would he be forced to forfeit to win? And what had he forfeited already to get this far? 

The answer came easily as Seijuro gathered his bearings and sucked in a deep, cleansing breath. It was childish, he knew, but Seijuro refused to relinquish Reo’s arm. He wasn’t sure how long it would take for the tremors to die completely—he still woke up drenched in sweat at the thought of losing Tetsuya again—and Reo was now human. He would eventually lose him again. 

He banished that crippling pain for now. He had more pressing matters, and none of them knew if they would survive the war, even with all the pieces in play. So he tugged Reo along like his own lucky item—Shintarou would be proud—and ignored Reo’s protests. 

“Sei-chan, there’s no need to be so forceful. I will follow you.”

He would. Reo would follow him to hell and back, but perhaps they were already there. 

“You were foolish. Do you have any idea of what your death would have done to our bond?” Shintarou sounded dangerously close to yelling when Seijuro entered the packed infirmary. 

“Nothing more than it did the first time, Shin-san,” Tetsuya deadpanned, sitting cross-legged upon the bed in the middle of the room and absentmindedly petting his wolf. His face remained expressionless, but Seijuro caught the mischievous sparkle in his eyes. 

Shintarou sputtered in frustration, so Kazunari slipped to his side. “Don’t worry, Shin-chan! I’m sure Tet-chan knows you meant you feared for his life and now has learned his lesson – or you could put him the corner if you feel that’s necessary.”

“ _Baka._ ” Daiki sounded like he wanted to be exasperated, but instead, he just came off amused. “Don’t give him ideas. He wanted to spank Tetsu that one time with—”

A fresh, pink blush spread across Tetsuya’s cheeks, and though it was faint, it was certainly noticeable. “Yes, thank you for that much-needed reminder, Daiki-san. Might I suggest we reminisce about that time you tried to dunk and instead hit the rim with your forehead?”

Daiki blinked. “Eh, Tetsu? I’m pretty sure that wasn’t me.”

“Y-You dumbass!” Taiga roared from the seat next to the bed before shooting up and palming Tetsuya’s head like a ball. “Don’t tell people about that!”

The infirmary erupted in laughter again, and though Seijuro saw the longing look Taiga and Tetsuya shared, each still smarting from the sudden severing of their bond, they were both alive and grateful. Seijuro felt Taiga’s relief sweep through his body, and Taiga, able to feel him, too, glanced over. He didn’t bristle, but his shoulders tensed slightly before they smoothed at Seijuro’s amusement.

Yes, he certainly enjoyed watching his coven interact with one another, and perhaps…Teikou wasn’t just a group of victims of the supernatural races anymore. Maybe it was something more. 

Shintarou hmphed, off in a corner, Kazunari at his elbow, as he watched over Tetsuya from afar. He attempted to appear aloof, a true tsundere, but Seijuro saw the concern reflecting in his gaze. So did Kazunari, who began to tease him mercilessly. Daiki leaned against the wall behind Taiga, close to Tetsuya, but his fingers ruffled the tiny strands on Taiga’s neck. 

“Hey, that’s my jacket,” he growled, but when he reached for it, Nigou snapped at him, letting out his own rumbling growl. 

“Nigou,” Tetsuya warned, but the wolf refused to relinquish the jacket underneath his hunches. 

Tatsuya sat on the other side of Tetsuya, actually on Atsushi’s lap, feeding Atsushi a chocolate bar of some sort. Ryouta currently fluttered about Tetsuya’s bed, fluffing his pillows and rambling about something or other, but he was very animated about it.

“Can never have too many pillows,” he said with such conviction, like he was proud of himself for helping in any way possible, and Tetsuya replied, “It is not like I can smother Ryouta-kun with them.”

“Kurokocchi, you’re recovering. You shouldn’t waste your strength on mean comments to me.”

“Taiga-kun, will you serve as my proxy and say mean things about Ryouta-kun?”

“Sure!” 

“I’ll help as well,” Tatsuya added, to which Ryouta stomped his foot like a child. 

“Why do you all pick on me?”

“Because you’re an easy target and easily offended,” Seijuro interjected, and when everyone (except Taiga) froze, staring at him and subsequently Reo, Seijuro was surprised that it was Atsushi who spoke first. 

“Eh? Mibuchi is alive?” He lifted the stunned Tatsuya’s hand to his mouth to take another bite of the chocolate bar. “Hmm…Aka-chin should have told us.”

“I was not the one keeping the secret,” Seijuro affirmed, letting go of Reo’s hand—the warmth left him bereft and cold as he walked toward Tetsuya, who eyed him wearily from the bed. He stood instantly, much to the disapproval of everyone in the room, but Tetsuya ignored Shintarou’s grunt and Taiga’s sputter to bow reverently, hands touching the top of his knees, gaze directed at the floor. 

“Thank you for saving Taiga-kun, Akashi-san. Please take care of him.” 

Taiga’s cheeks bloomed with a fresh shade of red, and they only darkened when Daiki ruffled his hair. 

Seijuro’s eyes sharpened. “Why did you keep this from us, Tetsuya? You saved Reo that night from Shirogane, yet you let us believe he had been killed, _brutally_ by Taiga.”

“I saved myself, too,” Tetsuya defended, his quickly shifting eyes the only indication of his distress. 

“You mastered your power, and you didn’t want us to know.”

Now Tetsuya looked away, hands fisting in the blanket. They trembled, and he bit the bottom of his lip to keep his face from shifting into something akin to despair. “You do not understand. My power—it’s not what you believe. I cannot just change a vampire into a human at will, and—and—”

The tears came stubbornly then, unwanted and unpleasant, and Taiga was up in a minute. Daiki, too, was moving, while Kazunari held Shintarou back and Tatsuya placed his sympathetic hand in Atsushi’s. Ryouta was crying, Seijuro heard, but he reached out then, cradling Tetsuya’s cheek in his hand. 

“I know,” Seijuro admitted. 

Tetsuya’s eyes sparkled, shock evident in that broken gaze, and Seijuro wondered if he looked the same, all those years ago when he was still mortal. Wiping the now cool tears from Tetsuya’s cheeks, he nodded. “Yes, I know, but that doesn’t explain why you wouldn’t tell us. Tetsuya, you’re Teikou. We are closer to you than kin. You should have confided in us.”

Tetsuya’s glanced away, but Seijuro refused to let him hide, firming his hold on Tetsuya’s jaw until the mortal was forced to meet his gaze.

“Even after everything, why don’t you trust us?” Seijuro demanded again. 

Tetsuya’s expression was anything but blank, full of resentment and anger and other ugly emotions. “You know why.”

*^*^*

_Year Five_

Tatsuya stepped in front of Taiga and Tetsuya, duel silver daggers out and hungry for blood while Ogiwara—vulnerable, untrained, mortal Ogiwara—safeguarded Tetsuya on his right side. Taiga shifted, so even though he held Tetsuya, his body shielded Tetsuya’s against the attacking werewolves and vampires on the left side. 

The pain in his chest subsided but didn’t disappear completely, allowing Tetsuya to breathe. At the moment, the fear was much more crippling as he stared into the malevolent eyes of the vampire who tortured him in his oldest memories. 

“Come, Tetsuya,” Shirogane purred in a grandfatherly voice, but Tetsuya heard the threatening command within it. 

Daiki left him with a parting gift when he dropped Tetsuya off at Ogiwara’s. _“Don’t listen to any vampire but me.”_

So Tetsuya didn’t, knuckles white as they remained curled about Taiga’s collar. 

The creepy, twisted smile upon Shirogane’s face fell when Tetsuya simply replied, “No,” and his ugly frown was much more bearable to Tetsuya, who hated the fake affection that always led to screams and blood. 

“You’ve been _claimed,_ ” Shirogane realized with a bitter scowl. “So who was it? Tell me, child, and I will break the bonds they have placed upon you.”

“And replace them with even heavier chains?” Tatsuya retorted. “He said no, so we’ll be taking him now.”

“And just who might you be, _human?_ ” Shirogane spat it like a curse. “Other than food for my werewolves.”

“Himuro Tatsuya,” Tatsuya proclaimed, chin raised to show he wasn’t inferior to the vampire. “And my brother is Kagami Taiga. We’re members of the Seirin Slayers and apprentices of Garcia Alexandria.”

Shirogane’s eyes flared, and Tetsuya wished he could see the dangerous smile he could feel coming from Tatsuya. “Yes,” he continued. “We’ve reclaimed the Pure, and we will not forsake him.”

The depth of conviction in his voice shocked Tetsuya to the core. Tatsuya and Taiga both stayed by him the last few weeks, watching out for him and teaching him the finer points of American basketball and slaying, but actually seeing Tatsuya willing to give his life to protect Tetsuya was a disturbing comfort. Just how much did they care for him—for this _Alex_ —to be willing to sacrifice themselves without hesitation?

“You will never reunite Garcia with the boy,” Shirogane promised and with a wave of his hand, released a command for the werewolves to attack. “You will meet the end of your futile lives tonight.”

Himuro laughed—actually laughed—and pivoted to bury his dagger to the hilt in the lunging werewolf’s chest. “Alex would have killed us herself if we could be defeated that easily.”

The werewolf let out a pitiful whimper before his body disintegrate in a cloud of dust. 

Tatsuya did well, keeping the werewolves occupied with quick slashes, moves precise and ruthless, but the vampires quickly jumped over his battle, rushing directly for Taiga, Tetsuya, and Ogiwara. 

“Here!” Taiga threw Ogiwara a blade, one he’d somehow kept hidden up his sleeve, and Ogiwara caught in the palm of his hand like Tatsuya and Taiga had taught him. Were they training Ogiwara, too, to be a slayer?

Tetsuya lost that train of thought when Taiga swiped, jumbling Tetsuya, and kicked the first vampire that attacked. Another one swiped, but Ogiwara actually stepped in front of Taiga, parrying the vampire’s claws with his blade. Whirling, he then sliced through the vampire’s stomach. The blood poured out of the vampire before he crumbled to dust. 

Ogiwara glanced down at his blade, a gleeful smile upon his usually bright face. “Whoa. Tetsuya, did you see what I just—”

But then Tetsuya was moving, tossed from Taiga’s sturdy grip into Ogiwara’s startled one, and he would have slipped to the ground if not for Ogiwara’s quick reflects. 

“Protect Tetsuya!” Taiga shouted before diving into the fight, slashing through vampires and werewolves alike to get to Himuro’s aid. He arrived just in time to save his brother from a particularly nasty swipe by Shirogane himself, which would have resulted in an agonizing and certain death. 

“I will enjoy tearing your spine from your body and licking it clean,” the vampire hissed. 

Taiga scoffed, “Get in line,” and with that, he threw a smaller dagger, which Shirogane needed to backflip to avoid. 

The brothers’ difference of strength showed here. While Himuro swiped with a surgeon-like precision, slaying vampire after werewolf, Taiga managed to take down two, sometimes three at a time, clearing a path back to Tetsuya and Ogiwara. But Shirogane didn’t wait for him to succeed, cutting off their way and glaring down at Ogiwara with a look of pure disdain. 

“You are _nothing_ ,” and he swiped. 

Something inside Tetsuya snapped. He was fifteen now, no longer a boy unable to fight back, and if Ogiwara meant anything to him—the person who saw him before anyone else, the person who cared for him when Teikou couldn’t, his best friend, his brother—Tetsuya would die before he lost him. 

Using Ogiwara’s shoulder as a base, he swung his leg, hitting Shirogane directly in the groin. Apparently, vampires were stronger but shared similar weak spots with the humans they once were.

Tetsuya took Ogiwara’s dagger then, holding it how Taiga and Tetsuya taught him, and swiped to slice Shirogane’s head clear from his neck. A werewolf interceded with a well-timed pounce, pinning Tetsuya to the ground with paws upon his shoulders. 

“Kuroko!” Taiga shouted as Tatsuya called, “Tetsuya!” 

The werewolf’s breath stunk like carcasses and rotten meat. Its heat rolled off Tetsuya’s cheek as he struggled, and the werewolf all but sat upon him, growling with his threatening teeth and warm slobber. A swift kick to his face sent the werewolf reeling, and Tetsuya blinked as Ogiwara snagged him by the arm and lugged him to his feet. 

Cool electricity sizzled on Tetsuya’s skin, and he heard a distinctive growl behind him—Shintarou, no doubt—as the metal fence about the streetball shredded under the vampire’s claws. Tetsuya pivoted, a relieved grin starting to indent his cheeks, when Shirogane’s own nightmarish smile caught his eyes. 

Shirogane put out his hand and curled his fingers toward them. “Servant, bring me the Pure!”

Tetsuya’s blood ran cold. Shirogane pretended Ogiwara was one of his vampires, but why? 

The brisk gust of a forceful swipe brushed across Tetsuya’s cheek; Seijuro’s bloodcurdling yell echoed through the court. 

The distinctive smell of blood invaded Tetsuya’s nose as something wet and hot splashed upon his skin. Ogiwara’s body gave out, dragging Tetsuya down to the ground with him, and Tetsuya never heard his own cry, even though he screamed with all his might. 

“Tetsu,” Ogiwara gasped through shallow breaths, his eyes wide and frightened, and Tetsuya’s own tears wet his cheeks as he reached for Ogiwara, only for a hard hand to clasp his shoulder and tug him ruthlessly away. 

_Nononnonono!_

Shintarou never joined them on the basketball court, never knew what Ogiwara looked like. 

Seijuro rushed past them, kneeling immediately at Ogiwara’s side. Tetsuya struggled against the cruel hold, slamming his hands over and over against the arm wrapped around his waist until Shintarou snatched one of them, his claws digging into Tetsuya’s skin. 

But Tetsuya didn’t stop. He reached for Ogiwara, unable to breathe through the choking sobs, and he couldn’t see through the torrent of tears. A second person—most likely Daiki—fell to Ogiwara’s side, while Atsushi tore through the remaining forces of the Dark Claws. Ryouta was nowhere to be seen.

“Ogiwara-kun!” Tetsuya cried. “Ogiwara-kun!”

“Kuroko, don’t distract Akashi and Aomine.” Shintarou’s voice sounded tight as he pushed up Tetsuya’s arm to close his wound, but Tetsuya flinched. 

Then a cool, soothing hand was upon his cheek, turning his eyes back to Seijuro’s soft but dual-colored irises. The vampire ducked his head, his chilly tongue sweeping up Tetsuya’s arm in long, tickling strokes to clean the wound. 

“Sei-san,” Tetsuya whined, unable to keep the pathetic tone. “Sei-san, please. He’s my friend. Please. I need…I need to—”

“Listen to Akashi, Tetsu,” Daiki ordered in a broken plea.

Seijuro tilted up Tetsuya’s head, forcing their eyes to meet. The dark pupils glowed a mystifying red as Seijuro whispered one word, filled with sympathy and misery, “Sleep.”

Unable to resist the command, Tetsuya succumbed. 

*^*^*

_Now_

“Ah, Aomine, I didn’t think we’d be seeing you so soon,” Imayoshi leered before his devious grin shifted into one of amusement, “or anyone from Teikou, for that matter. Did I miss the memo about a change of time and venue?”

Tetsuya didn’t take the oversight personally. Even though Imayoshi—and every vampire in the bar—must have felt Tetsuya enter, they probably brushed off the sizzling crackle of electricity as static or some other needless force. In the dark and crowded hole-in-the-wall, the Phantom Slayer of Seirin blended well enough into the shadows that the throngs of drunken patrons never noticed his presence among them. Of course, Taiga and Seijuro flagging him helped to hide his attendance from any wandering eyes who might be able to see him. 

After all, midnight had just passed, and the Moonlight Tavern vibrated with a dangerous energy. The supernatural races mixed worse than oil and water, leading some establishments to only cater to a certain breed or race, but owned by Imayoshi and the Touou Coven, this rundown establishment catered to all members—slayers included. A werewolf band played in the corner, while a number of vampires and werewolves danced in a haphazard motion on the small area before them. A few slayers gathered around the long wooden bar, where Wakamatsu and Susa worked in tandem mixing drinks and filling steins. Imayoshi seemed to be working the tables this night. Sakurai must have been in the back, putting together the tavern’s “grub,” which actually included gourmet flavors, according to Taiga. 

Daiki rubbed the back of his hair, fidgeting unnecessarily. “Hey, could you not hassle for once in my life, Imayoshi? I’m looking for my kid.”

 _Kid?_ Tetsuya perked up. Since when did Daiki have a kid? 

“Could you perhaps pick up a broom? A mop? Maybe even wash a dish or two. And by the way—” Imayoshi pointed a condemning finger at Nigou, whose tail stopped wagging and eyes narrowed with a challenging glint. “—any werewolves are to be in their human or full form. We don’t need you peeing on stools here.”

“He’s not a werewolf,” Tetsuya interjected, causing Imayoshi to jerk. “He’s my dog.”

Taken off guard by Tetsuya’s “sudden” appearance, Imayoshi blinked, took off glasses, and then put them back on. A slither of a smile carved his face, and he whistled lowly. “Well, I’ll be…so all the rumors are true, huh? Teikou really does have a Pure in its ranks.”

Daiki stepped to the left, blocking Tetsuya from Imayoshi’s sight. “It’s no business of yours right now. I need to see my kid, all right? Where he is?”

“Tetsu-kun!” Momoi slipped through a pack of werewolves, thrusting her serving tray into Imayoshi’s chest before launching herself at Tetsuya in her low-cut barmaid dress. 

His every muscle tensing, eyes closed, Tetsuya braced himself for one of her suffocating hugs, but it never came. Daiki intercepted her, wrapping his arms about her waist and effortlessly lifting her off the ground. “Satsuki, don’t clobber Tetsu yet. I need him conscious for the next few moments. And Imayoshi is keeping the kid from me. Have you seen him?”

Momoi slammed her boot heel into Daiki’s foot, causing him to hiss and release her, and then Tetsuya had a face full of pink hair and a familiar burning sensation in his lungs before Momoi finally pulled away. 

“Souchi-san sent him out on a run for some fresh drinks. He’ll be back in a few. Take a seat at the end of the bar, and try not to scare away any of the patrons, Dai-chan! I’d hate to have to open up Tetsu-kun’s veins just to get the crowd back.” 

It was a joke, but everyone, even Seijuro, bristled. Taiga wrapped an arm about Tetsuya’s shoulders, drawing him close as they headed to the stools on the right side of the bar while Nigou whined and rubbed against Tetsuya’s waist until he petted his head. Daiki, for the most part, seemed to ignore it, groaning as he took the last seat, his elbows hiked up against the wooden bar behind him. 

“I swear that woman is going to be the death of me,” he muttered before something slapped the counter next to him in rapid succession. 

“You look like walking death,” Wakamatsu muttered, pushing two bags of packed blood in front of him. “…or well, more so than usual. Drink.”

Tetsuya blinked when Daiki sent him a sideways glance before turning away from Wakamatsu. “I’m not thirsty.”

“Don’t give me that shit! Drink or I’ll make sure Sakurai never makes you a raw burger again.”

“That’s all right. I have Taiga. He’ll do it for me.”

“Oi!” Taiga slapped the back of Daiki’s head. “Don’t bring me into this!”

“Drink, Daiki,” Seijuro commanded, low and forceful. “You haven’t recovered since the battle with Shirogane. None of us have.” He grabbed a menu from one of the bar’s holders and gave it a skim. “We’ll have three Virgin Freezes, two Rocky Reds, a Crimson Lagoon, a Bloody Sour, and an Amber Moon for our mortal.”

 _Our_ mortal? Like they had some claim to him, which Tetsuya supposed they did. “Sei-san, I’m not yet legal.”

“Your birthday is in less than a month, Tetsuya, and I do believe soon, you may need a stiff drink.”

Susa worked with Wakamatsu to finish the drinks, and when they came, Seijuro placed the three Virgin Freezes in front of Taiga. “Drink these. Virgin blood is rich in nutrients, so it’ll help acclimate your human physiology to its new vampire processes.”

Taiga held Seijuro’s eyes for a long moment, Tetsuya watched, as if trying to see if he could break the obvious command, but then obediently, he picked up the first drink and sipped. Seijuro choose the Crimson Lagoon while he motioned to Daiki to drink the Rocky Reds. When Daiki rolled his eyes, Susa leaned over the bar to smack him in the back of the head. “Drink, you baka.”

Tetsuya blinked when Daiki glanced over at him once more before grabbing one of the blood pouches. He tore into it and sucked the hot liquid down in a few quick gulps before going for the second one. As he tasted his own drink, Tetsuya smiled softly toward Daiki, who was still obviously distressed. 

“You seem to have found a caring coven in Touou, Daiki-san.”

“I guess they’re all right.”

“How do you drink from packets like that?” Taiga asked, working on his last drink already. “I’ve seen vampires gag when they can’t drink fresh from a body.”

“All these drinks are made from packets,” Susa offered, setting down another drink in front of Taiga. “The alcohol makes them drinkable, but _baka_ here has long stopped drinking from living beings.”

“Why?” 

Daiki grunted but didn’t offer a reply. 

Tetsuya’s blood froze, his skin going cold. “Because of me? Because you drank from me, you’ve stopped drinking from live beings?”

Daiki looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there, avoiding the group’s eyes and leaning back against the bar. “Drinking is a pleasurable experience for both vampires and mortals when done correctly, and—and it wasn’t when I drank from you. It—”

“It scarred you.” Seijuro tugged the back of Taiga’s shirt. “Drink from him.”

Taiga sat up straighter. “What! I thought you said it was impolite—”

“It is,” Seijuro relented, “but Daiki has long deprived himself, trying to atone for a sin he didn’t commit. And drinking from you, he would find extremely enjoyable. And vice versa.” 

Tetsuya caught his bottom lip between his teeth, guilt swarming unpleasantly in his gut. “Daiki-san…”

“You aren’t the last person I’ve bitten, Tetsu,” Daiki admitted flatly before dropping his eyes to the floor. “Y’see, that night on the streetball court, when Midorima attacked Shige—”

“Daiki!” the overzealous call sounded over the cacophony of the band, patrons, and workers of the tavern, and suddenly, Daiki’s arms were full with a shorter vampire, dressed in a black slacks and shirt and the red apron of a waiter. Familiar orange color hair sat atop a mat of darker brown hair along with the bright, eager smile that shaped the pale excited features of a young vampire, who looked no older than fifteen. 

Ogiwara Shigehiro pulled back from Daiki, though Daiki’s hands rested upon the younger vampire’s shoulder. A natural, indulgent grin dispelled Daiki’s scowl, even as Shige scolded, “Daiki, where have you been? You left, then came back, and then left again! And you promised to take my shift three weeks ago if I cleaned the bathrooms.”

“Sorry, Shige, but I’m sure you heard the rumors.”

Shige gasped. “Satsuki said, but I didn’t—Teikou’s really reforming? But it can’t without…”

Daiki hit Shige’s chin after his eyes and face grew downcast and motioned behind the young vampire. “Of course, we wouldn’t reform without our resident mortal.”

Tetsuya’s breath caught in his throat as those dark brown eyes shifted from Daiki to him, trembling and unhinged, and Tetsuya slowly shook his head as fresh tears coursed his flushed cheeks. He’d seen Shintarou run Ogiwara through, and yet here his first friend stood, appearing like he had all those years ago but with lighter skin and the red-glinted eyes of a vampire. 

_To Be Continued..._


	15. How Kuro-chin Scared Aka-chin Away (or Vice Versa)

_Year Five_

The night was long and unbearable as Tetsuya sat before the front door to Teikou Tower, cross-legged and still, his only solace the comforting moonlight that shown through the two-story window. The dried tears upon his cheeks left his skin tight and burning, but he couldn’t move his arms high enough to wipe them. His hands remained clenched, fingers digging into hard muscles of his knees, his PJ bottoms a thin and poor defense. His eyes remained trained on the front door, waiting until his heart physically ached. 

He tried not to close his eyes because every time he did, he saw the vicious look in Shintarou’s eyes—a look he’d never seen the quiet but kind-hearted vampire give. Shintarou always brought him a lucky item when Aquarius was ranked last in the horoscopes or checked on him when he was sick. When Tetsuya was getting better, sometimes he would even catch Shintarou sitting in the corner of his room, just watching him breathe. 

Now Tetsuya flinched, remembering the warm splash of blood upon his cheek and clothes, and when he woke up in the tower, he was already cleaned and in pajamas. He immediately ran out of his room to find Atsushi. The rest out was hunting Shirogane who had escaped after “Mido-chin attacked Kuro-chin’s friend.” 

Tetsuya wondered why Atsushi remained and not the more likely candidates, Ryouta or Daiki, but then he saw the scars that had yet to heal on Atsushi’s neck and hands. He’d been slashed violently by a vampire or a werewolf, and once Tetsuya decided to wait before the front door, Atsushi brought him a few vanilla cookies, scones, and a milkshake. When Tetsuya couldn’t eat, Atsushi refreshed them every couple of hours with a ruffle of Tetsuya’s hair. 

Tetsuya could only wait and hope that the burning ache in his chest would subside, but it exacerbated when Daiki opened the door just before dawn, his eyes bloodshot and dead. He started when he saw Tetsuya on the floor, but Tetsuya was up in a shot, despite his numb muscles. He stumbled toward Daiki, clutching the vampire’s sleeve. 

“Daiki-san…” he sobbed, suddenly unable to stop the violent choking in his throat. “Daiki-san, what happened?”

Daiki jerked at Tetsuya’s hold, trying with token resistance to free himself. “Tetsu, not now, okay? Not—”

“Where’s…Where’s Ogiwara-kun, Daiki-san? Did…Did Shin-san…? Did he really—”

“Tetsu, look, it’s—Shige—he—”

Why wouldn’t Daiki meet his eyes? “Daiki-san, please…tell me what happened! Did you—Did you save him? Did you—”

Daiki’s eyes flamed with something akin to resentment. “I said not now! Go to your room, Tetsu!”

A command from his master. Daiki’s eyes grew dark and closed off, his face set in bitter resignation, but Tetsuya couldn’t the stop the tears that blurred his vision and dribbled down his face. His heart felt like it was splintering, shattering into smaller and smaller pieces with every step he took backwards. He finally collapsed upon the floor of his room, unable to stop the sobs that wracked his tiny frame.

*^*^*

 

_Now_

Tetsuya wasn’t sure if he or Ogiwara moved first, but they collided, arms clutching each other tightly, jovial laughter bursting from their lips. Tetsuya buried his face in Ogiwara’s shoulder, taking relief in the cold sensation of his skin, and let out the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding for the last five years. 

“You’re alive,” Tetsuya murmured in a strangled whisper, needing to hear the words in order to accept that his best friend hadn’t met his end by Teikou’s own ruthless claws. 

Shige kept his arms wrapped about Tetsuya’s slender torso, his enhanced strength and cool skin a welcome comfort. The hold was secure, perhaps painfully so, but the cold sensation against his cheek broke through the terrible reminder of Shige’s hot blood splattered upon his skin.

“Me?” Shige refused to let him go, squeezing Tetsuya within a hair of his organs exploding. If he’d been human, Tetsuya would have been dead. “You were killed, Tetsuya! They found what remained of your body! I saw what was left, and—and—”

Tetsuya wasn’t the only one crying as tears wet the side of his cheek. Only then did Tetsuya pull away, just enough to look down into Shige’s eyes. “Ogiwara-kun, I’m taller than you.”

Shige’s scrunched his nose for a moment before his eyes raked over Tetsuya’s slightly taller form before he stuck out his tongue. “Only by an inch or two. If Daiki hadn’t turned me into a vampire, I’d be towering over you by now.”

“Yeah, instead I’ve got an eternal elbow holder.” To prove his point, Daiki stood and rested his elbow on top of Shige’s head 

Shige quickly pushed it off and made a face. “You said you wouldn’t do that anymore after I beat you that time.”

“I let you win.”

“Did not!”

Tetsuya couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled in his chest, and whatever anger Daiki carried in his face melted. Tetsuya, too, relaxed into the hold of his lost brother and his savior, Daiki dropping his hands to Shige’s and Tetsuya’s noggins. 

Daiki’s eyes shifted away as he muttered, “I’m sorry, Tetsu. I didn’t know how to tell you that—vampires are selfish, y’know? I wasn’t ready to lose Shige, and—and I thought you would hate me.”

“Hate you? Daiki-san, you—”

“—bit you and made you watch as I took one of our former coven members apart, and then I turned your big brother, the first human who ever saw you, into a vampire.”

“But I love vampires, Daiki-san. My brothers are vampires. Alex-san is a vampire. My coven is full of them.” Tetsuya detached himself from Shige to wrap his arms about Daiki’s middle and press his face into the vampire’s chest. “You also gave me the first home and family I ever knew. I don’t think I ever said it, but thank you for saving me all those years ago, Daiki-san.”

He waited until Daiki returned the hug, folding his arms over Tetsu’s shoulders and holding him close, and Tetsuya sighed, reveling in the family he’d found again, a family he mourned every day for five years until Seijuro found him in that small apartment in the dark neighborhood in the outskirts of Tokyo. But then again, while Daiki saved him from the Dark Claws, Seijuro offered him a place inside Teikou and bonded him to the coven. 

When he finally pulled away from Daiki, he bowed reverently again before straightening his back and meeting Seijuro’s eyes. “And thank you, Sei-san, for giving me the first family I’ve ever known and for helping me find it again.”

“We are the ones who are grateful for your presence, Tetsuya, no matter how short it may be with us, and I apologize for ever giving you a reason to run.” Tetsuya savored the light pressure against his cheek when Seijuro cupped it, though Nigou let out a low growl. “But Tetsuya,” Seijuro continued, an odd look of bewilderment in his eyes, “who is Alex-san?”

Tetsuya shot a nervous glance towards Taiga, who was finishing Seijuro’s drink before dropping the glass from his mouth. His own expression was shaky, uncertain, but Tetsuya refused to deny Seijuro the truth any longer. “Alexandria Garcia,” he swallowed and forced the words through his tight lips, “is my mother.”

Though the band continued to play, creating an almost deafening atmosphere in the rather small bar, Tetsuya heard nothing but silence in the moments that followed his declaration as he watched Seijuro process the information. The vampire’s eyes widened, which Tetsuya expected, and his mouth opened slightly, as if taking a bracing breath. Then, he let it out slowly, sharp eyes never leaving Tetsuya’s face, and his cool fingers sought Tetsuya’s, folding them together. 

“You’re trusting me—us—” He nodded to Daiki. “—with this.”

Tetsuya glanced back at Shige, who stood off to Daiki’s side, and turned back to Seijuro. “Yes. I was wrong not to.” Taking a sip of his beer, he sat back on a stool, his feet resting on the bottom bars. He gathered the strength as best he could, getting ready for a conversation he should have had earlier. 

“Shin-san was correct when he said I tolerated the command Sei-san gave me to stay in Teikou Tower. Though I was known as the Phantom Slayer of Seirin, Taiga-kun and I realized I was being hunted earlier this year. The night with Mibuchi-san and Nebuya-san confirmed it, and Shirogane showed his hand. Though we didn’t know the leader’s identity, I knew someone from a reformed Dark Claws coven was coming for me in hopes of using my blood to tip the balance of power toward their side.”

“How could you possibly know that?” Daiki interjected, stealing the half-drunken glass from Taiga’s hands. 

“Because Alex went missing,” Taiga offered with more than a little heat and an incensed glare toward Daiki. “Though Tetsu and I’ve shared an apartment since we bonded, Alex has always kept in contact. When we didn’t hear from her from weeks, we knew something was up.”

“The Pure are born from a vampire mother and a mortal father, a human, from what we have learned,” Tetsuya explained, offering his beer to Taiga, who accepted it after a shrug. “If the vampire is a father, then the child will always be a vampire.

“My father is Nakatani Masaaki—”

Daiki spat out half of his drink. “What the fuck? Your dad is one of the Five Great Slayers?” 

The smug smile perked on the edge of his lips before he could stop it. “Yes. He was in L.A. helping a clan deal with a rowdy flutter of Fae when he met my mother. Once Alex gave birth to me, Mabo-san brought me back to Japan, hoping to hide me in the clans and train me until I was old enough to defend myself.”

Daiki’s shock faded almost instantly, his face tightening, eyes darkening. “He was betrayed by Katsunori Harasawa.”

“Yes, and Katsunori-san brought me to the Dark Claws and Shirogane Kouou, under whom I grew until I was saved by you and Teikou.”

“Katsunori is dead,” Seijuro said, to which Tetsuya’s smile grew. 

“Yes. If I heard the story correctly, Katsunori-san blamed the rest of the slayers for not stopping a vampire from biting him and after killing his new master, decided to create his own army and destroy the slayers.” He reached over to stab Daiki in the gut when the older vampire refused to look at him. “He almost succeeded, gaining skilled fighters like samurais and police officers and other personnel, but ultimately met his death at Sei-san’s hand, at which time Daiki-san joined Teikou.” When Daiki glanced at him with that vulnerable expression again, he raised both eyebrows to ask, “Did I leave anything out?”

“Tetsu…I…”

“—might have helped to bring me to the Dark Claws originally?” Tetsuya shrugged. “You did not know what I was at the time, and if anyone understands the exasperating mind-control powers of vampires, it is I, Daiki-san.”

“Where is your father now, Kuroko?” Shige asked. 

Tetsuya’s eyes shifted, crestfallen. “I…I’m not sure. I tried to contact him when Alex-san went missing, but he’s always been away. Alex-san and Mabo-san feel it is better if they are not—”

“Shirogane wants to breed more Pure,” Seijuro deciphered, and Tetsuya stopped himself from flinching at the startlingly sharp tone. “The Pure when bred with other Pure will automatically create the desired result, while a Pure and a human have less than a thirty percent chance of yielding the wanted breed.”

Tetsuya would have asked how Seijuro knew that if not for the subtle reproach that laced Seijuro’s words. Instead, he nodded. “Even if they captured me and used me, they would not be able to guarantee a Pure offspring.”

“If they could capture you,” Shige added with a sad smile. “Since none of us knew you existed, the Dark Claws probably couldn’t find you.”

Daiki snorted. “So…what? They captured your ma in hopes of making more of you.”

“And your father, most likely,” Seijuro quickly tagged on, “as your parents already produced one Pure. They would be more likely than other vampire-human pair to produce another.”

Tetsuya’s hands tightened in fists before he could stop them. “Yes.” A hand fell upon his, and though he missed Taiga’s calming presence in his mind, he relished in Seijuro’s cool touch and entwined their fingers. “The Dark Claws still hunted me, in hopes that if my mother and father gave birth to a female Pure, we could breed.”

Disgust twisted onto Ogiwara’s face. “That’s just wrong, man.”

Tetsuya’s own expression refused to thaw. “Yes.”

Daiki ordered another drink from Wakamatsu and threw back a shot before continuing, “So when Teikou reformed—”

“We forced Shirogane to bring his war to the tower. Even Taiga-kun fighting Meikou proved helpful, as it showed a completely reformed Teikou Coven.” Tetsuya glanced toward Taiga, a sincere apology evident in his eyes. “Shirogane then knew where to find me and took the bait. Taiga and I had hoped we would be able to defeat him, but even the combined forces of Teikou were not strong enough.” 

Seijuro’s fingers trailed across Tetsuya’s jaw, luring his attention, and Seijuro graced him with a confident but soft smile. “We will be ready next time.”

Squeezing their joined hands, Tetsuya opened his mouth to reply before his senses went into the overdrive. Without letting go of Seijuro’s hand, Tetsuya ducked under Seijuro’s arm, flicked his wrist to bring his silver dagger to bear, and buried it in the chest of a lunging vampire who hissed viciously before evaporating into dust. 

“Perhaps you should think before you speak, Sei-san,” Tetsuya teased. 

“If I am not mistaken, Tetsuya, you were, in fact, ready.” Seijuro furled a single eyebrow, though a whisper of a smile found his pale but inviting lips, and Tetsuya quickly averted his eyes to stop his cheeks from burning. He should not be thinking of such things, especially not in the heat of battle. 

“Hey!” Wakamatsu yelled through the suddenly stunned crowd, pointing directly at Tetsuya with a scolding glare. “No slaying inside the—uk!”

Daiki slashed through the vampire who attacked Wakamatsu and glanced down at the fallen and now bleeding figure. “Narumi? What the—Why the hell is Josei attacking us?”

A quick tug by Seijuro sent Tetsuya whirling toward an oncoming werewolf, and he reacted on instinct, kicking the beast in the snout before Nigou followed, slicing through the werewolf’s neck. 

Seijuro crouched down to the lifeless vampire to get a closer look. “It’s not just Josei, Daiki. This is Tsugawa.”

“If we get the Senshinkan Flutter, then it’s a full set,” Taiga laughed, though the humor was absent from his voice as he went back to back with Tetsuya and Shige. Daiki clutched the nearly unconscious Wakamatsu by the arm and waist, holding him upright. 

“You lost the game of Hide and Seek, Teikou,” a snide voice claimed, a baleful whisper slithering across Tetsuya’s shoulders and crawling into his ear. 

He whipped his dagger about his palm as he met Tsubuku’s threat with own, even as he spoke to his coven. “Meikou, Seiho, Josei—they’re all covens based in Asakusa.”

Shige gasped, probably realizing what Tetsuya did and hopefully Daiki as well. The Dark Claws—Shirogane—were proving a point. They took over the one-time sanctuary that Teikou had carved out in the middle of the first war and turned it into its stronghold. 

Senshinkan would indeed be on that list. 

“Surrender,” Tsubuku insisted, fangs gleaming as he smiled a sickening grin, “and we’ll only tear off half your limbs.”

“Go die,” Shige spat. 

Tsubuku swiped then. “I believe we’ve all done that.”

Chaos engulfed the tavern then, the Dark Claw coven and pack attacking Teikou and its mortal. Imayoshi intercepted Tsubuku before he could reach Shige, but Kasuga pounced, stabbing Taiga in the shoulder and forcing him back against the bar. Shige then buried his claws in the back of the werewolf, while Momoi came to his aid, slashing through Omurou when he lunged. Daiki managed to battle with Wakamatsu against him, his skills superior to the others, while Sakurai appeared from the back, agile and fierce, despite the apologies he flung at every enemy he defeated. In front of Tetsuya, Nigou refused to give quarter, taking out just as many vampires and werewolves as Tetsuya and Seijuro, fur around his mouth stained red with his victims’ blood. 

But even Teikou’s superb skills were no match for the Dark Claws increased numbers. They cared little for decency and manners, and when Seijuro kicked back Kawase, the Josei Vampire immediately buried his fangs into the neck of the nearest supernatural race, a werewolf who howled but ultimately listened to its new master’s orders. 

“Bastards are upping their numbers,” Daiki declared, urgent. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

Imayoshi tsked as he snapped the neck of the nearest vampire. “Reckon you wouldn’t be satisfied unless you got out of yet another shift.”

“We should be grateful that Dai-chan never burned the place down, Shou-chan,” Momoi laughed as she jumped on the back of a werewolf and gouged his eyes out.

“Oh, please bite that skillful tongue of yours, Momoi-san.”

A dark plume of smoke rose from where the band had been playing, and orange flames danced upon the floor. 

“Shige, clear the way!” Daiki ordered, tightening his hold upon Wakamatsu while Seijuro snapped toward Taiga. “Help him, Taiga!”

“This way!” Shige screamed as they headed toward the kitchen door. After ripping the entrails of another vampire, he disappeared through it, Taiga just behind him before Daiki dragged Wakamatsu toward the exit. Sakurai followed with Momoi, while Imayoshi, Nigou, Tetsuya, and Seijuro held the advancing forces at bay. 

“Tetsuya, go!” Seijuro ordered, but without meeting his eyes, Tetsuya refused to listen. 

“I won’t leave you…Sei-sama.”

Seijuro’s head whipped around to see him, eyes gleaming with dark promise and undeniable mirth, and Tetsuya felt his stomach do that little flip-flop, the one it did every time Seijuro’s eyes met his.

“As touching as that sounds,” Imayoshi interjected, claws dripping with fresh blood. “You are the one they are after, Kuroko-kun. May I suggest a quick exit strategy, so we, too, may retreat?”

Seijuro made sure to lock eyes with him again, and Tetsuya thought, for a moment, he might want so spend eternity in that rich crimson. “We’ll be right behind you.”

Nigou whined his agreement, snatching Tetsuya’s jacket from behind and tugging him toward the door. Tetsuya spared one last glance at Seijuro, making sure he and Imayoshi could handle the rest of the ambushing forces before turning with a smack into a foul-smelly, hairy chest. He managed to keep his head, rolling with the attack, but his cheek smarted with the onslaught a fresh blood. 

“Tetsuya!” Seijuro howled, or so Tetsuya read on his lips. He couldn’t quite hear as he focused on the werewolf pack in front of him, fighting through the smoke stinging his eyes. 

An arm circled his waist, separating him from the beasts as Imayoshi threw a few burning bottles of liquor to create a barrier of fire. Behind the bar, Seijuro eased Tetsuya to the floor, claws brushing across the weeping lesions. 

His eyes sparkled with flecks of golden light, fervent desire liquid in his gaze, and Tetsuya found breathing hard and not just because of the smoke.

The fire burned uncontrollably while the Dark Claws’ numbers grew exponentially. With all the exits blocked, certain death awaited Seijuro, Imayoshi, Nigou, and Tetsuya unless… 

“You know what you have to do,” Tetsuya muttered, covering Seijuro’s hand with his own. It was trembling as the memory of that terrible night arose between them. Despite the others’ betrayal, this had scarred Tetsuya the most, what participated his run from Teikou. “Don’t fight it, Sei-san. Give into your instincts.”

He’d never understood the allure, but Tatsuya explained it to him once after a battle with Yosen, where Tetsuya had been wounded by a werewolf. 

_”The scent—your blood—it’s like a beacon, so sweet and—and—flavorful that my fangs bare on their own. In my mouth, I can already taste it rolling over tongue, like a craving that I can_ not _indulge.”_

Seijuro’s face contorted in a miserable struggle between lust and longing, but fear shone paramount, his mind forcing his body not to cave to its carnal urges as his hesitant tongue sensually glided along his bottom lip. Tetsuya watched it, mesmerized as well, before a piece of the roof crackled and caved, slamming into the end of the bar. 

Tetsuya tore the collar of his shirt to expose his neck and lifted his chin, watching as Seijuro’s eyes dilated and his breathing hitched. “Do it, Sei-san, before it’s too late.”

Seijuro balled his fists, eyes flaming with a feverish glow now. “No,” he bit off.

Nigou let out a pained shriek; Imayoshi yelled something through the furious smoke. And whatever happened to Taiga and Shige, Daiki and the rest of Touou? If his brothers were still alive—if there was any hope for Seijuro and him to survive—

Tetsuya brushed his hand along Seijuro’s rigid face. “Sei…” he pleaded, unsure of what else to say. 

Seijuro dove then, but instead of his mouth latching onto Tetsuya’s neck, it fused with Tetsuya’s lips. Seijuro’s cool body pressed Tetsuya flat against the bar, his hand coming up to cradle Tetsuya’s wounded cheek, and every part of Tetsuya tingled with anticipation, with desire, as he met Seijuro’s fervor with his own eager embrace. 

Tetsuya shifted when the air began to dissipate, and it was then he noticed Seijuro knelt between his thighs, his knees thrown over Seijuro’s legs. His groin pressed against Seijuro’s, swelling embarrassingly fast as he tried to sit up, but Seijuro kept him firm, both hands cradling Tetsuya’s face, legs keeping Tetsuya’s bottom off of the floor and forcing Tetsuya to keep his own wrapped about Seijuro’s waist or risk falling.

It was a very intimate hold, one that flushed Tetsuya’s cheeks before Seijuro nibbled the bottom of Tetsuya’s lips, eliciting a vulnerable little whimper. As if that was payment for the sensual act, Seijuro released his lips but refused to release Tetsuya’s cheeks, instead gliding his sinful tongue up Tetsuya’s wound, cleaning it of blood and dirt but in such an arousing fashion that Tetsuya felt as if Seijuro was trying to devour his soul. 

Seijuro’s eyes were dark pools of honest regret but limitless affection that pinned Tetsuya better than physical strength, and after a chaste kiss to his mouth, Seijuro trailed brief but enjoyable caresses with his tongue down Tetsuya’s jaw before finally swiping one long, stimulating glide up Tetsuya’s smooth expanse of Tetsuya’s neck. 

“Are you sure, Tetsuya?” Seijuro’s voice was a breathless admission. 

_Do you trust me?_ his eyes asked. 

Tetsuya grinned and lifted his chin once more, his insides a bundled mess of wanton need. “Always,” he replied. 

Seijuro bowed his head, as if proving his utmost regard for his partner, and dipped under Tetsuya’s chin. Seijuro’s cool breath against his exposed neck intensified the shivers already tingling up his spine, and he closed his eyes, readying himself for the sharp pierce when a deadly growl cut through their sensual haze. It was different than usual, deeper and more menacing sound than Tetsuya had ever heard Nigou make, and when he managed to tear his eyes away from Seijuro’s still enchanting gaze, he’d expected to see Nigou’s wolf-like form, head cocked back, teeth clenched, hunches set to pounce. 

Instead, he saw the massive paws of a beast—a werewolf—at the edge of the bar, and his rounded eyes followed the white-black fur up the fierce but powerful legs that eventually met with a broad chest and glimmering claws, slick with crimson. The wide face, too, was now a mix of monster and mutt, but those glowing blue eyes remained steadfast, a crystal blue. 

Tetsuya’s apprehension bled through to his voice, which quivered as he gasped, “…Nigou?”

*^*^* 

_Year Five_

The night became a long, torturous event with only Atsushi coming to see him every so often. He brought a meal or a milkshake, and a lingering complaint about how bothersome it was to do all the cleaning and cooking of Teikou Tower by himself. Apparently, Shintarou and Daiki barely came home, and Ryouta worked tirelessly during the day meeting between the slayer clans and Fae flutters. 

Tetsuya vaguely wondered if he met with Seirin and Taiga and Tatsuya. Did they survive the battle with Shirogane? With Teikou? And where was Seijuro? The last time Tetsuya saw him, he’d told him to sleep, and then Tetsuya woke up in his own bed, alone, his heart stinging from a phantom pain. 

And it never left. The pain grew fiercer, sometimes rendering Tetsuya in a semi-conscious state. Other times, it was a minor ache akin to eating too many sweets, but it remained, a tether to something greater than himself, tying him to a future he wasn’t sure he could embrace. 

He began to feel like a criminal, locked away in solitary confinement, and after more than a month inside the Tower, he wondered why he was born. Was his sole purpose to be nothing more than super food for vampires, as he was with the Dark Claws? A pet to be caged, as he was with Teikou?

Perhaps he could be more, as Taiga and Tatsuya showed him. They taught how to defend himself against the vampires, how to fight his stature as a servant and pet, and Tetsuya would have helped on the basketball court that night if not for the damaged bond that crippled him in those desperate moments. 

Could he do that for Teikou? Seijuro said he would one day allow him to fight with the coven. Perhaps he could learn more than how to defend himself. Perhaps he could learn how to protect his family and maybe even stop the war. 

Seijuro told him not to worry—that Teikou would survive—but how? The coven members avoided the tower. They avoided _him_ , and Seijuro avoided answering his questioning all those weeks ago. 

Unless the Teikou Coven couldn’t survive when one of their members was mortal. 

The pain came full force that night, keeping Tetsuya wrapped in an afghan, dazed and languid as he stared out his window at the inky dark sky and the brilliant orb that shimmering through the jungle of towers. 

It was a full moon.

Atsushi, too, seemed hurt, his eyes sunken into his gaunt face, and other than brushing back Tetsuya’s hair to see into his eyes, the giant vampire left him alone to suffer in private agony. Tetsuya debated about maybe seeking out Atsushi to ask about Seijuro and the others when his bedroom door crashed against the wall, startling Tetsuya from his musings. By the time he whipped around to see who invaded his room, painfully tight fingers dug into his shoulders, pressing his back against his bed. 

Two wild eyes hovered just above his face—one a vibrant red, the other a furious yellow—and Tetsuya sucked in a sharp inhale as Seijuro’s stern face came into view. Brutally cold breaths rolled over his face with every pant that burst from Seijuro’s open mouth, and Tetsuya belatedly realized the desperate undertone of Seijuro’s expression. 

Tetsuya reached up to brush Seijuro’s face—to rid it of the unusual and awful look—only to come away wet. “S-Sei-san?” 

Seijuro’s expression smoothed from its stiff scowl, his eyes rounded and bright, but when he spoke, his voice was a quiet beseech, “I can end this. I can save them. I can save you. A little. That is all.”

“Sei?”

Seijuro flinched as if physical hit, though his eyes never deterred from their hypnotic gaze south of Tetsuya’s face. Tetsuya almost stopped breathing when he realized Seijuro’s glare focused on his neck. 

Hands trembling, Seijuro seemed to curl his arms about Tetsuya, cradling his body as he dropped onto the mortal, hiding his face in the crook between Tetsuya’s neck and shoulder. “Only a little. I’ll only need a taste, perhaps a few gulps at the most, and it’ll be enough. I’ll make it be enough.”

Tetsuya’s arms crept about Seijuro’s neck, one coming up to cradle the older vampire’s head, and he wondered if Seijuro was still talking to him. The coven leader sounded like he was trying to convince himself. 

“It’s not the same,” he insisted, still in that desperate plea. “It won’t be like when the Dark Claws drank from you. You’ll only feel a little prick…”

“Drank?” Tetsuya echoed, wondering. “The Dark Claws never drank from me, Sei-san. They bled—” His body suddenly tensed as Seijuro’s bewildering words began to make sense, his sharp fangs pressing tentatively against Tetsuya’s throat. “Sei—”

“I cannot find Daiki. They might have killed Shintarou. Ryouta is beginning to question joining Teikou, and the Dark Claws will not rest until they kill us for stealing you,” Seijuro purred, lifting his head up to stare with frightening logic at Tetsuya. “A few sips, and I’ll be more powerful than Shirogane. I can stop him, Tetsuya. I just need your blood to do so.”

It wasn’t a request, as he began to lower his piercing teeth toward Tetsuya’s pristine neck. 

Tetsuya closed his eyes, remembering the unending nights tied and gagged, his leaking blood leaving him lifeless and complacent, and despite the pain wracking his body and strangling his heart, Tetsuya thrust his hand up, hitting Sei directly in the neck. 

“Stop, Sei-san! Stop!”

But Seijuro refused, and after coughing, he reached down to restrain both of Tetsuya’s wrists in one of his hands and hold them above Tetsuya’s head. “Stop struggling, Tetsuya.” Seijuro’s voice remained a steady purr, however. “It won’t take long, a few moments at the most, and then I will end this war once and for all.”

But Tetsuya knew that to be a lie. He’d seen the maddening glint in the eyes of those who fed upon him. He saw how they drank his blood, first a few sips and then by the glass. If Seijuro began to drink from him, Teikou would become the hell that was the Dark Claws. Seijuro would continue to drink from him until he bled Tetsuya dry. 

When Seijuro’s tongue gave a slow, sensual swipe over his bottom lip, something within Tetsuya cracked. 

“Stop, Sei!” Choked sobs sounded from Tetsuya, even as he struggled, even as he lifted up his knee to Seijuro’s groin. “Sei-san, I said stop!”

“One day, you will thank me, Tetsuya. Now stay still, or I will hurt you.” Seijuro dove forward then, ready to bite into Tetsuya’s pristine neck when a sudden blow sent Seijuro flying off the bed and slamming into the farthest wall. 

“Eh, Aka-chin? Don’t go hurting Kuro-chin. It’s not right.”

“Atsushi-san!” Tetsuya called, wringing his wrists and shivering as he still felt the remnants of Akashi’s cool skin upon his own. 

Seijuro slowly gathered his bearings, pushing upon the wall to stand. “You do not understand, Atsushi. One taste of Tetsuya’s blood, and I can end the war.”

“And you will lose the coven and Kuro-chin’s trust.” Only Atsushi could speak to Seijuro so bluntly and not receive punishment. “I won’t make Kuro-chin anymore food, so he won’t be so tempting to you, Aka-chin.”

“It is not the food that makes Tetsuya so alluring.” Seijuro took a tentative forward, then another, and another, forcing Tetsuya to retreat behind Atsushi’s larger frame. “It is the power that flows through his blood. Drink it with me, Atsushi. Drink it with me, so we can bring victory to Teikou.”

Tetsuya’s heart plummeted. Nausea warmed the saliva in his mouth as Atsushi glanced over his shoulder, as if surveying Tetsuya’s “tastiness” before meeting Seijuro’s wild gaze again. “You’re not thinking straight, Aka-chin. Victory is not what we want. We want to survive, and that includes Kuro-chin.”

Seijuro’s eyes glowed a venomous yellow as he stepped forward and extended his claws. “Get out of my way, Atsushi.”

“No.” 

When Seijuro leapt, Atsushi kept calm, easily deflecting Seijuro’s desperate attacks. No doubt, Seijuro was not in his right mind, the damaged bond of Teikou crumbling even more as member fought member. The pain inside Tetsuya’s heart sharpened, buckling his knees, and against the back wall, he slid down, clutching the front of his shirt and struggling to breathe. 

When a shadow cast over him, it took all of Tetsuya’s strength to look up and see Seijuro standing before him, those yellow eyes damning him as he crouched low. The look now in Seijuro’s eyes, all fierce and not a scrap of kindness left, scarred Tetsuya in ways he didn’t know he could hurt. He froze then, staring into those dark abysses and wondering where his earnest coven leader went. 

“Who are you?” Tetsuya whispered, voice raw and accusing. 

Seijuro’s maniac expression wavered, if only for a moment, before his entire body shuddered. He stared down at Tetsuya with a disturbing mixture of repulsion and fear, and then he took off, fleeing without speaking another word. 

On the other side of the bed, Atsushi sat up, blood dribbling down the side of his face. He looked like a child whose parent forgot about his birthday and muttered, “Kuro-chin scared Aka-chin away?”

Tetsuya thought it was the other way around, but before Tetsuya could respond, the pain in his chest exploded into an acute agony, dragging him from consciousness. 

_To Be Continued…_


	16. The Truth - Flowery and Otherwise

_Year Five_

“Such shimmering hair and fair skin. He truly is a remarkable beauty, so rare and exquisite.” 

“You can’t have him.”

“Why? He would be a lovely addition to the imperial gardens.”

“He’s not a statue to accent your flowers.”

“No, he is a tender bulb that will one day grow into a vibrant bloom.”

Tetsuya let out a tired groan as he shifted, the soft grass under his head rustling his crown. An aching pain lingered in his chest, sore and strained, like he’d pulled a muscle that had yet to heal. He began to wonder if it ever would when he froze, the warmth of the sun a foreign sensation upon his skin. The gentle breeze swept across his face while the fluttering of wings battered his ears. When a shadow fell upon him, blocking out the rays of the sun, Tetsuya’s eyes snapped open. Leaning over him were pale beings, men and women alike who looked no older than fifteen with sparkles upon their cheeks and wings. They giggled in light, ethereal voices at his obvious fear, and a girl with peach hair reached out pet the side of his cheek. 

“Aw, why can’t we keep him, Ki-chan?”

Tetsuya immediately relaxed when Ryouta entered his vision, standing behind the smaller Fae, glaring down with an unusual cold stare. “Because he’s not a gnome.” 

“Ryouta-kun?” Tetsuya called, trying to keep his breathing controlled as another Fae reached out to stroke his forearm. 

“Alright, alright, guys, give Tetsuya-kun some breathing room.”

The Fae whined and pouted, but many fluttered off into the various flowers and sculpted brushes. When Tetsuya sat up, he glanced about the tiny garden enclosure, which was shaped in a square with tall scrubs climbing higher than Ryouta’s head like a fence. Various colorful flowers entwined with the vibrant green backdrop while elaborate statues dotted the area in different states of beauty—some decorated by garlands of vines and others appearing freshly sculpted. 

Kise came to sit cross-legged in front of him, propping his elbow up on his knee, his chin upon his hand as he studied Tetsuya as if bored and so very tired. 

“W-Where are we?” 

“The Imperial East Gardens,” Ryouta spat. “The Fae tend to them, helping to create some of the most beautifully manicured gardens in all of Japan.”

Tetsuya looked away from a statue—one of an older man in a cross-legged position with his right hand hiked upon his knee—before his attention snapped back. Did his eyes just blink?

Ryouta yawned and fell back into the grass, reminding Tetsuya of Daiki. “Why don’t you sleep some more? I’ll wake you before sunset.”

But Tetsuya stood and started in a very reserved stride toward the statue. “Why are we here, Ryouta-kun?”

“I didn’t know where else to bring you,” Ryouta admitted. “Akashicchi asked me to get you out of the tower for the day, and this is only safe place I could think to bring you.”

The statue’s facial featured seemed to shift, drawing Tetsuya closer. Did that statue actually seem… hopeful? Was it…pleading to Tetsuya?

“My mother is currently hunting werewolves, hoping to catch them in their dog forms, so she won’t know we’re here.” He laughed sadly, self-depreciating. “She blames me, y’know. She believes you could help end this war, and I’m prolonging the suffering of the supernatural races by keeping you out of it. So every Fae who has died in this war is on me.” 

Tetsuya knelt before the statue, reaching out and pulling the choking vines from the statue’s legs and throat before falling backwards. He sucked in a terrified gasp. 

The statue was blinking. 

“Come away from there, Tetsuya.” Ryouta’s voice sounded distant and incredibly sad. “There’s nothing you can do to help him or any of the garden gnomes.”

“But—But, Ryouta-kun! He just—”

Ryouta remained still on the ground, eyes closed and face smooth. “They were once living beings, turned into stone for all eternity. You cannot help them.” 

“They’re—They’re actually people?” Tetsuya whispered in a broken murmur. “R-Ryouta-kun, we—we have to—”

“Just come over here and rest. I’ll wake you before sunset.” 

“But Ryouta-kun! We have to—”

Ryouta’s voice became as hard as ice. “The Fae want to beautify the world, Tetsuya. This is their way, and no one can turn people from stone back to flesh.” 

It was horrifying—and Tetsuya eventually tore his eyes away from the pitiful statue. “Ryouta-kun, can we please leave?” he asked lowly, coming back to Ryouta’s side. 

“Akashicchi and Midoricchi won’t return to the tower if you’re there,” Ryouta spat, resentful. His eyes opened, shimmering a dark gold that Tetsuya had never seen before. “Aominecchi won’t even look at you, and Murasakibaracchi refuses to cook for you, saying it’ll only upset Akashicchi again. It’s just you and me, apparently.” His next words froze Tetsuya as Ryouta’s eyes slipped closed. “Why couldn’t the werewolves have found you? Why did it have to be Aominecchi?”

Tetsuya refused to move for the longest time, a fierce and painful ache throbbing in his chest once more. With his back pressed against the brush fence, he pulled his legs to his chest and cried silently into his knees. Ryouta, who used to smother him; Ryouta, who used to cherish him; Ryouta who once called him “Kurokocchi,” had abandoned him, and just Tetsuya’s presence was tearing the coven apart. He could feel it in his heart, the physical ache that came from Teikou’s damaged bond, each member crying out with their own pain. Where Teikou once had found strength, that connection now was killing them. 

And it was all Tetsuya’s fault—the bonding, the war, the fall of the once mighty Teikou Coven. His family was dying, and he had to save it. And he could only think of one way to do that—to get rid of the reason for the war. 

When sunset came, Tetsuya lifted his head and thought the statues looked sympathetic. 

*^*^*

Despite the Moonlight Tavern burning to the ground, leaving Touou without a home; despite a majority of the vampires sporting injuries in some painful fashion; despite the undeniable fact that the Dark Claws were expanding their ranks exponentially – Taiga couldn’t stop laughing, and Tetsuya wanted nothing more in the world than to hit him. 

And to be put down, of course.

Now back at the Seirin stronghold, Tetsuya sighed and struggled, but couldn’t break free from Nigou’s strong hold. His dog—no, werewolf—stood in the middle of Seirin’s headquarters, now in his full supernatural form, cradling Tetsuya in his arms princess-style. His huge paws tightened upon Tetsuya’s torso and legs when Seijuro came before them, those crimson eyes firm but just. 

“Nigou, we spoke about this. You can stay by Tetsuya’s side but only if you behave.”

Nigou’s breath reeked of blood and flesh as his jaw trembled, a fierce growl escaping through his clenched teeth. His shoulders curled inward, as if to shelter Tetsuya’s from the other people in the room—the recovering Touou, Seirin, and Teikou—and Tetsuya stared at what he once thought was his dog, his _pet_.

How could he have degraded “Nigou” so much? But if Nigou still held him, still protected him, and refused to leave him back at that burning tavern—even going so far as to transform and take apart Senshinkan and their followers—then Nigou would still listen to him. 

“Nigou,” Tetsuya started, voice pitched to command, “put me down.”

Nigou’s wide blue eyes—the only things left unchanged from his transformation—glanced toward Tetsuya before he sniffed once. _No._

“ _Nigou,_ ” he said, sterner this time, and the werewolf’s gaze once more caught his, testing, waiting, but Tetsuya never relented. Sufficiently chastised, Nigou flattened his ears against his head, and an apologetic whine slipped through those wet jaws. Then, he lowered Tetsuya’s feet to the ground first before placing himself still between the vampires and his master. 

But Tetsuya grabbed Nigou by the nape and dragged his head around and down, so their eyes were level. All his worry bled then, when he saw what remained of his playful puppy. Though he was also a vicious beast, Nigou was still that tiny being that once rested in his lap and who grew to be his constant companion. He was at Tetsuya’s side when Taiga worked with the covens and helped to deviously torment Taiga—before Taiga developed an immunity to Nigou and ended up loving him just as much as Tetsuya did. 

So Tetsuya allowed his own firm front to melt and petted the kneeling Nigou’s head. The werewolf’s tail wagged, excited, and he leaned into Tetsuya’s ministrations.

“Tetsuya, you need to be firm with wolves—” A hand fell to his shoulder, and Nigou growled, haunches contracting as he readied to pounce. 

“Sei-san, please,” Tetsuya interrupted, waiting for Seijuro’s hand to lift before turning back to the relaxing Nigou. 

“I-I am truly sorry, Nigou,” Tetsuya murmured before leaning forward, rubbing his cheek against Nigou’s head. “I’ve lived among the supernatural races long enough to know werewolves, and I didn’t know you were one. You must have been so frustrated being trapped in your dog form the whole time.”

Instead of keeping his shape, Nigou shifted back to his dog form and leapt up on his back paws, his front ones resting on Tetsuya’s shoulders, tongue lapping up his cheeks. 

“Nigou—Nigou— _Nigou!_ ” Tetsuya took the wolf’s head in his hands and forced their eyes to meet again. “Nigou, I want to know you. Please…”

Nigou’s ears flattened again, and then with one last lick, he dropped from Tetsuya’s shoulders and sat before him. Tetsuya waited, breath caught in his throat as Nigou’s body glowed a dark, forest green and shifted. He still sat, hunched in a dog stance as his light blue eyes darkened to slate while his fur lengthened until rich black hair dusted his cheeks and shoulders. His eyebrows were bushy in the middle of his forehead and thinned out at the edges, and Tetsuya—briefly—thought how much they reminded him of Taiga’s. 

Nigou now sported his collar and nothing else, though he quickly snatched the black leather jacket from the couch’s spine. It covered some but not all of his light skin, and standing, he towered over Tetsuya by at least a head. 

His dark eyes bounced about the room, taking in the Seirin members and then the Teikou ones before bending down to get into Tetsuya’s face with his own mischievous grin. “Sometimes, you should be careful what you wish for…Tetsu-chan.”

The cold, sinister tone to Nigou’s voice sent a chill down Tetsuya’s spine, but he endured it to whisper, “Who are you?”

Nigou straightened then, sniffing into the air. “Hanamiya Makoto, though in the Kirisaki Daichi Pack, I am generally called Nigou.”

“Hanamiya Makoto,” Tetsuya whispered, testing the name upon his tongue. He liked the sound of it. “I shall call you ‘Makoto-chan.’”

“Ehh?” Makoto’s tongue slipped out of his mouth, almost as if he were panting. “You do not like ‘Nigou.’”

The tone seemed hurtful, even spiteful, and Tetsuya replied in a gentle reproach, “I am quite fond of the name ‘Nigou,’ but your whole existence should not revolve around me. You are a werewolf with a personality all your own.”

Makoto still looked miffed, and when Kiyoshi came forward to pat him on the head, he almost bit off the slayer’s hand. 

“Now, now. No need to be vicious, Makoto-chan. You are among friends.”

“I’m a werewolf. Vicious is what we do. Even a stupid waste of a slayer should know this.”

“Hey,” Daiki interjected from behind Seijuro, taking two steps forward to glare at the cloth that barely covered Makoto’s intimate areas. “Is that my jacket?”

“Hmm. You all are really dense. I do not understand how any of you have survived as long as you have—vampire or slayer.”

“Makoto-chan!” Tetsuya uncharacteristically chastised, voice sharp and alarming. “Please do not mock our friends. It’s not polite.”

“I speak the truth, Tetsu-chan. It’s not my fault they do not like it.”

“Flowery truth,” Kiyoshi wondered out, patting Makoto’s head with his large palm again, as if Makoto hadn’t threatened him. “That _is_ an interesting name. How did you come by it?”

“How the hell should I know? I was only a pup when my parents were killed during the first war.”

Guilt immediately swelled in Tetsuya’s gut, and he bowed formally to Makoto. “Thank you for all you’ve done for me, Makoto-chan. I may never be able to repay you for kindness and companionship, and the sacrifice you have made protecting me rather than your own pack.”

The wolf looked utterly repulsed for a moment, like he couldn’t even believe such words came out of Tetsuya’s mouth, but when Tetsuya rose from his bow, Makoto dipped down to brush his hair against Tetsuya’s face and give it a thoughtful lick.

 _You’re welcome,_ it said. Perhaps even, _You are my pack now._

Tetsuya let out a gentle laugh—it tickled, especially with Makoto’s now slimmer tongue—and he reached out to ruffle the werewolf’s locks. Yes, werewolves were certainly the most loyal of the supernatural races.

“You are in human form now,” Hyuga admonished, coming forward with a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt, which he promptly chucked at Makoto. “Act like it!”

Makoto let out a fierce growl again, his eyes glowing a fierce blue while his incisors flashed, but Hyuga was Seirin and a member of his pack. So, after untying Aomine’s jacket from his waist, he quickly changed into the clothes before pulling his arms through the jacket sleeves. 

Daiki was not pleased. “Jacket’s mine, mutt,” he demanded, hand out to take it. 

Makoto snorted. “I’m purebred, unlike vampires who are nothing more than glorified blood thieves.”

“Why you little—”

“Hey,” Taiga interjected, grabbing Aomine’s shoulder. “Let him have it, all right? He’s just turned human for the first time, probably. And he was protecting me, so…”

Taiga all but screeched when tiny licks teased his palm, and he glanced down to Makoto crouching at his side, tongue twirling about his digits in a quiet thank you. 

Daiki couldn’t hide his amusement. “You’re even afraid of dogs when they’re in human form.”

“I’m not afraid!” As if to prove his point, he dropped his head to Makoto’s crown and petted the top of his hair. “At least, I’m not afraid of Nig—Makoto anymore, though _you_ could have warned us that he’s a wolf,” Taiga growled toward Tatsuya. 

Tatsuya shrugged and laughed, coming forward to ruffle Makoto’s head as well. “He was a pup when the Kirisaki Daichi Pack offered him to me. He was all but imprinted on Tetsuya with the one simple command: protect. There was no need to tell you.”

Makoto now broke away from them to come to Tetsuya’s side, lay his chin upon Tetsuya’s shoulder, and even wrap his arms about Tetsuya’s waist in a fiercely protective hold. Tetsuya patted his cheek with a fond smile. “Yes, there was, Aniki. He is not just my protector but also a keen werewolf. That was what the Winter Pact taught us. All members of the supernatural races should be cherished.”

“Yes,” Seijuro interjected, coming forward to smile a tiny, indulgent grin. “All races should be.”

Tetsuya couldn’t suppress the smile that surprised his face or the burning flush that came to his cheeks, but he then let out of a grunt of surprise when Makoto tightened his grip about his waist and growled again. 

Seijuro’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t step closer to Tetsuya or the furious Makoto. 

Shintarou came to his side and pushed up his glasses before clearing his throat. “Hanamiya, are you able to speak on behalf of the werewolf packs?”

“Haven’t you been paying attention?” Hanamiya sneered. “There aren’t many of us left.”

“That’s what we’re trying to preserve.”

Hanamiya’s jaw shuttered, showcasing his teeth once more as he spat, “That’s what you destroyed. You massacred pack after pack during the first war before Seirin finally proposed the Winter Pact.”

“Makoto-chan, Teikou didn’t massacre any packs during the war,” Tetsuya corrected, trying to extract his body from Makoto’s claws. He stopped at Daiki’s averted eyes, Kise’s fidgeting hands, and Shintarou’s obvious discomfort. Even Atsushi appeared sad—something he almost never was—and Seijuro just met his gaze, an unfathomable despair shimmering in his eyes. 

A cold, frightened void sucked the breath from Tetsuya’s lungs as he muttered through his stiff lips, “Sei-san?”

“We thought they had killed you, Tetsu,” Daiki said unapologetically. “Before you—we tried to save anyone who had been turned into a Dark Claw. That’s why we kept being injured so badly. But after you—”

“Stop, Daiki,” Seijuro commanded, but Daiki continued, “He has a right to know, Akashi. He’s right. He’s no longer a child. It’s time he knows what happened back then.”

“We killed anyone who was a Dark Claw,” Shintarou explained, his tone icy. “We were done trying to save anyone. We wanted to end the war—”

“—and we wanted revenge.” Ryouta’s eyes were dark, unforgiving. “We thought they took you, so we decided to take as many of them as possible.”

*^*^*  
_Year Five_

It was the first time he remembered Teikou leaving him alone since that day, almost two years ago, when he went out searching for his coven and found a flutter of Fae instead. So Tetsuya went ahead with his plan, even as a sharp agony settled in his chest and threatened to drag him unconscious. He only remained somewhat erect because of the pillows fluffed behind him. Tears blurred his vision as he glanced about his bedroom once more, remembering the warmth he found in these walls and the love he cherished more than anything. 

Perhaps the greatest act of love was sacrifice, and Tetsuya loved the Teikou Coven more than he loved anything or anyone. He’d do anything for them, even die to let them live. 

Taiga hovered over him on one side of the bed, while Tatsuya stood on the other, both offering sympathetic albeit squeamish looks. That did not instill much confidence in Tetsuya nor did the bubble gum popping gray-haired man standing at the foot of his bed. 

“You are an idiot,” Hara snorted, glancing around the room with an awestruck annoyance. “You really think Teikou isn’t going to find you in Tokyo? You should come to Akita. The Kirisaki Daichi Pack will put you up.”

Tetsuya didn’t quite trust the werewolf of north-based pack, but Seirin did. And that was all he needed to know for now. “No, thank you, Hara-san. I am not a pup but a Pure. A clan is where I belong.”

“Then…you’re ready?” Kagami asked, and the shimmering silver blade in his hand caught the moonlight. 

Tetsuya sucked in a deep inhale and then let it out slowly. There was more than one way to sever a coven bond, and this was undoubtedly the most painful. But it was the only way a mortal could hope to survive. 

Tetsuya only prayed his coven would, too. 

“Did you contact the allied covens?”

Tatsuya knelt on the floor next to Tetsuya’s bed and cradled one of his hands, only grimacing when Tetsuya’s fingers tightened with their augmented strength. “The leaders are already on their way,” Tatsuya soothed. “Teikou won’t be alone when they feel it.”

Closing his eyes, Tetsuya felt the lump form in his throat and his stomach pulsate in an anxious rhythm. It was the hardest decision he would ever have to make, and he couldn’t voice it. Instead, as the tears coursed his cheeks and his heart hurt, Tetsuya answered Taiga’s question with a rigid nod. 

Then his eyes shot wide and a strangled cry rent the air as the silver dagger pierced his chest and began to cleanse the vampire blood Seijuro had fed him more than four years ago.

\--- 

The basketball court was abandoned, dilapidated after the “murder” that took place earlier that year. Though no one could prove that Ogiwara Shigehiro had been killed—the blood they found only pointed to a violent crime, not, in fact, death—children and players alike avoided the court. Daiki, instead, embraced the court, enjoying the feel of leather under his fingertips, the comfort of happy memories with his two humans, and the soothing sensation of a cold brew. Or twelve. 

He went up for a shot and missed before stumbling a little. Hm. He could still stand. Maybe he should pop a thirteenth. 

“One would think you’re drowning your sorrows, Aomine-kun,” a sinister voice called, causing Daiki to swing around and promptly fall to the asphalt, “but that would mean the vicious ace of Teikou actually has feelings. And we know differently, don’t we?”

Daiki narrowed his eyes, trying to fight the double vision that currently blurred the vampire standing before him. “Who are you, and what the fuck do you want?”

“Aren’t you a prize? I’m sure you’re just a pleasure to have on a daily basis.”

“Fuck you.”

“No, thank you. You’re not my type.”

Daiki seriously needed that thirteenth drink.

“It’s Imayoshi Shoichi, Aomine-kun, leader of the Touou Coven.”

Touou’s head? Hm. Daiki remembered that douche. What was he doing here?

Pain—Crippling, unbearable pain seized Daiki’s chest, and if he wasn’t on the ground, he would have fallen. He rolled over immediately, on his hands and knees as his gut contracted and forced everything he’d drunk from his stomach. 

\--- 

The cat statue, Gemini’s lucky item of the day, shattered against the floor, and Shintarou collapsed a moment later. He panted, quick breaths rushing in and out of his open mouth as he tried to calm his racing heart. The world seemed to unhinge and swirl in front of Midorima’s eyes, but then Otsubo Taisuke was there, running to his side and muttering comforting words. He couldn’t quite understand the meaning, not at first, just the firm but reassuring tone, until his world crashed down upon him. 

“It’s all right, Midorima. You’ll survive. Teikou is strong enough to lose one member of its coven.”

\---

Butt-chin held Atsushi by the waist with an arm wrapped about his neck, keeping the large vampire from the convenience store floor. Atsushi’s popsicles broke upon the ground and now melted, and Butt-chin tried to soothe him by rattling off different types of candy and other treats that Atsushi would enjoy in Akita. But Atsushi could hardly breathe let alone think of his stomach at the moment. He’d suffered the loss of a coven member before—not just Haizaki but also Nijimura and others—but never had those losses taken Atsushi’s mind off food. 

And never had Atsushi ever felt like someone had crushed _his_ heart. 

\---

“Kise!” 

Kise could barely focus as Kasamatsu Yukio of Kaijo knelt by his side, clutching his shuddering shoulders. He could hardly feel his hands; they were fists, balled tightly in the grass of the Imperial East Gardens. His mouth formed an O-shape as he sucked in shallow gasps, and he felt if as his soul was being sucked from his body. 

He wasn’t sure what was happening, only that someone in their bond was in desperate, blinding agony, and it was violently affecting the entire coven. 

“Kise! Kise, can you hear me? What’s happening? What’s wrong?”

Why had Kasamatsu had come? He’d said something about a spot in Kaijo, open for him. But why? Why would Kasamatsu come for him—unless Teikou dissolved? And the only way that would happen was if something happened to one of them. 

No, not the vampire members of the coven. It wouldn’t have hurt the bond this much if something happened to one of them. There could be only one explanation. 

\---

Seijuro leaned back against the wall of the alley, slipping down the side as he fought to regain his composure, but the intense pain overwhelmed his body, leaving him shaking and heaving. He tipped his head back against the bricks, struggling to stop the tears that stung his eyes, though he furiously blinked them away when he saw someone familiar approach from the end of the alley.

“Mibuchi Reo of Rakuzan,” Seijuro greeted in strained voice, his own unbreakable will unable to stop his voice from faltering. “Why have you come?”

Reo glanced back at the brand-new apartment building across the street where only in Seijuro’s memories did a rundown ryokan once stand. Seijuro always preferred to remember the flames consuming the abhorrent place and hiding all the evidence of Tetsuya’s torturous life and Teikou’s first act of war. 

Reo came to stand before Seijuro and crouched down to offer a sad smile. “The Seirin Clan requested I come. They said they have reason to believe the last of the Pure has been killed, and they wanted confirmation.”

Seijuro’s eyes widened until they hurt. The crippling agony in his chest increased ten-fold, and it felt like someone reached inside the icy cavern and tore his heart out. Yet he had to move. He didn’t have the luxury of collapsing. 

“ _Tetsuya…_ ”

By the time he reached Teikou Tower, the rest of the coven had assembled in what remained of Tetsuya’s room. Even for members of the supernatural race with bloodied claws and no mercy, this was the prelude to nightmares. Shattered windows, torn curtains, claw marks embedded in the wall were only the start of the horrifying scene. Blood streaked across the pale walls and soaked what was left of the mattress. Scattered about the room were bits and pieces of flesh and mortal, of sprinkles and fur, teeth and broken claws from what appeared to be an all-out battle between the supernatural races and Tetsuya. 

Like they’d all come to take him and instead, ended up ripping him apart. 

Atsushi left and the distinct sound of crashing could be heard as he destroyed the kitchen. Daiki followed not long after; glass shattered throughout the penthouse. Ryouta knelt upon the floor and lifted up a shredded shirt, hugging it his chest as he sobbed. Midorima just pushed up his glasses and grunted as his own tears coursed his cheeks, and Seijuro stood in a stunned silence, his mind unable to accept the disturbing sight before him. 

Tetsuya…gone? They’d left him alone for perhaps a matter of moments, perhaps the first time in years, and the supernatural forces discovered he was defenseless? Had they been watching the tower? How long had they been waiting for this exact moment to strike?

They’d been fighting for so long—the fierce battles, the endless war—and all for what? What was victory if the very thing— _person_ —they were trying to save was dead? 

The warmth that once filled their bond, almost in a smothering fashion, was absent, leaving Seijuro cold and bereft, craving the shadow that lit his life—their coven’s lives. 

Harsh reality reached inside Seijuro’s chest and tore his heart out. He felt like he was physically bleeding as a few tears slipped down his cheeks, the shared anguish of the severed bond radiating with a profound agony. They all felt the pain of not one maimed soul but five, and Seijuro never bowed to anyone, never showed weakness, and yet Tetsuya’s sudden disappearance brought him to knees, his fists dropping to a pool of cold blood. 

Tetsuya was more than a mortal, a Pure, a child. Seijuro marked him with his own saliva and scent, claimed Tetsuya as _his_ – to protect, adore, _love._ And Tetsuya was taken from him—stolen, broken, _murdered._

Had Tetsuya cried? Had he called for them? Had he been scared? Had he begged for his life? Had he held out hope in the very end, believing Teikou would save them and instead, his family left him to die? 

Or had he died, thinking they didn’t love him enough to save him?

Seijuro squeezed his eyes shut, and all he saw was those wide, terrified blue eyes that pleaded with him not to drink his blood. 

Seijuro jerked upward, his head flung back, and let out the macabre howl of a vampire in absolute agony, mourning the loss of one of his coven members. Ryouta, Midorima, Atsushi, and finally Daiki, low and broken, joined the chilling shrill, and then—then Seijuro stood, licking the blood from his hands and arms for one last taste of his love. He wiped the tears from his cheeks and turned to find his coven waiting their next orders, each with red-rimmed but callous eyes. 

Seijuro proclaimed in the coldest tone he ever used, heartless and unforgiving, “They will pay for this grievous act. We will not let them get away with this. Every Dark Claw, whether he be a vampire, werewolf, or Fae, will meet their end at our claws. They took Tetsuya—” He felt nothing but an unbridled rage. “—and they will regret it.” 

_To Be Continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, everyone. I was trying to decide to change a part of this chapter or not, so it took a little longer than I wanted to get posted. And I also apologize that I can't count. We have about five chapters left, not the three I said earlier (excluding the epilogue). Thanks!


	17. All That and the Winter Pact (Plus Blood)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Explicit...kinda (explanation in End Note)

Bile burned the back of Tetsuya’s throat as he leaned over the toilet, once more emptying whatever was left in his stomach. Only yellow foam now came up with the dry heaves, but fresh, burning tears spilled from his cheeks into the pooling water. He couldn’t stop the guilt from shuttering his body, and Taiga sat next to him, his warm presence no longer a comfort in Tetsuya’s own body, helping him to battle these warring emotions. Instead, he brushed Tetsuya’s hair from his slick face before dabbing a cool, wet towel across the back of his neck. 

Nausea swarmed in the back of his mouth, just at the edge of throat, but it subsided after a few deep, drawing gasps. He collapsed to the side of the toilet, where Makoto, still in human form, nuzzled against his side before laying his head in Tetsuya’s lap. As Tetsuya’s breath slowly recovered, the mortal sunk his fingers into Makoto’s thick mop and slowly raked his tips along the sculp. 

The rhythmed motion helped to calm him as he tipped his head back against the cool tiles, and he began to wonder if Tatsuya had given him Nigou as a therapy dog rather than a protector. 

Just as he began to breathe normally, another wave of nausea surged, but Taiga offered him a cool glass of water, which chased the sensation back down his throat. 

“It wasn’t your fault, Tetsu,” Tatsuya offered, taking the glass back while Taiga settled across from him, cross-legged. “You didn’t force Teikou to massacre those packs and covens.”

“But if I wouldn’t have run away—” His gut twisted, and his entire body shook uncontrollably. “—If I hadn’t—”

“Who knows what would have happened,” Taiga interjected. Somehow, he, Tatsuya, Tetsuya, and Makoto managed to settle in the tiny closet bathroom off the Seirin guestrooms. “They abandoned you, and Teikou’s bond was dying. You did what you had to do to save them.” 

“I did what I had to do to save myself,” Tetsuya muttered, and Makoto sat up them, licking the salty tears from Tetsuya’s face. Tetsuya flinched and tried to pull away, but Makoto persisted. 

“Stop being so annoying, Tetsu-chan. They were broken and deserved to be thrown away like trash.”

Tetsuya sighed and scratched behind Makoto’s ear, causing Makoto to relax again. “They’re my family, Makoto-chan. You don’t discard family.”

“Too bad they don’t believe that.”

Tetsuya wished that didn’t hurt as much as it did. But Teikou had discarded him before he severed with his bond and joined Seirin. 

“He’s right,” Tatsuya agreed, sitting with his back against the door, one knee bent, elbow propped on it. “You didn’t deserve what they did to you, so you can’t take responsibilities for their actions.”

“But I can take responsibility for what I did, and—and I did know they loved me. Despite everything—they saved me, and—I should have known they would react so violently.”

“Are you psychic…now…?” Makoto panted and collapsed back to Tetsuya’s lap as his master’s fingers rubbed over the spot that made the werewolf melt. 

Taiga ruffled Makoto’s hair as well, brushing back the werewolf’s long bangs. “You wouldn’t know what they would do, and you did everything in your power to save them—even making sure the leaders of allied covens would be there when you severed your bond with Teikou. You couldn’t have done anything more.”

“But—”

“You are so annoying,” Makoto whined. 

“And you’re quite a handful, aren’t you? And cuter in your dog form.” Tatsuya hit Makoto on the leg before sighing at Tetsuya. “Tetsuya, you have to understand. The war was horrible for everyone, and Teikou ended it. Perhaps not the way you wanted but with their vicious nature, it might have gone on longer, even without your absence. By the end, the supernatural races weren’t fighting just for you. They were fighting for dominance.”

Tetsuya’s eyes narrowed. “You knew—You knew Teikou killed all those innocent people?”

“To get to Shirogane,” Taiga offered, “and they weren’t quite innocent.”

“Some were bitten and impressed,” Tetsuya argued incredulously. “They were slaves of the Dark Claws, Taiga-kun, not willing participants in the war.”

Makoto let out a disgruntled noise, rolling over and rubbing his face against Tetsuya’s stomach. “They were murdered in cold blood by Teikou. Nothing you say or do now will change that.”

“And you can deal with it by making snarky comments like your dog,” Taiga laughed. 

Makoto snorted. “I’m a wolf.”

“You’re a stinkin’ fur ball.”

He shot up and growled, but Tetsuya stroked his back, soothing Makoto’s piqued nerves again. His own remained raw as he thought of the Fae and the werewolves—perhaps Nigou’s own litter or even Ryouta’s flutter—who had met their deaths at Teikou’s vicious claws. He thought of Daiki’s callous expression and Atsushi’s incredible strength and Seijuro’s dual-colored eyes as they mercilessly took apart every pack, flutter, and coven that stood in their way until they reached Shirogane and tore his head from his body. 

He tugged his legs to his chest and buried his face within them. How could he have let that happen? No wonder Teikou’s name had only been spoken in frightened whispers and resentful hisses. 

“Tetsuya,” Tatsuya began, laying a comforting hand on his little brother’s leg and offering a terribly sad smile. “You have two options. Either you can accept what Teikou did and accept them for who they are now, or you can reject them and walk away from the war. But everything they did, they did because they lost you. Because they loved you and were in pain from losing you.”

“Please don’t try to make me feel better, Aniki,” Tetsuya requested in a dry voice. 

A rapid, straightforward knock sounded on the door, and it opened to show a very exhausted-looking Daiki. “Hey, guys. You think I can talk to Tetsu for a moment?”

Tatsuya and Taiga looked at Tetsuya, and though he was felt confused and distressed in ways he couldn’t articulate, he knew he didn’t want to talk to any members of Teikou at the moment. But at the rather vulnerable and sorrowful look Daiki sent him, Tetsuya nodded. 

“Try not to be…you,” Taiga whispered to Daiki on his way out the door, patting his thigh to call Makoto. 

Daiki scoffed, “What? I’m always a pleasure to see.”

“I knew you were arrogant,” Tatsuya said. “I didn’t know you were delusional, too.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Tetsuya remained closed off, hugging his legs to his chest as Daiki settled on the floor across from him, wringing the back of his neck and looking very uncomfortable. His head whipped around suddenly as he thumbed toward the door. “Was your mutt wearing my shirt, too?”

That wasn’t even in the top hundred of Tetsuya’s priorities’ list. “Did you want to say something, Daiki-san? Or did you just want to get away from Satsuki-chan for a few moments?”

“Right. Yeah. Sorry.” Daiki fidgeted for a moment, fists clenching and unclenching before finally meeting Tetsuya’s wondering eyes. “Look, I’d say I’m sorry for what we did, but I’m not. None of us are, Tetsu. We thought you were dead, and—”

“That’s why all those deaths were my fault.” He swallowed hard and took deep breaths, attempting to keep the bile from bubbling up his throat again.

“No, they’re not. Look, you want to take blame? Then feel bad for the blood you’ve spilt as a slayer, but Shirogane turned those people into his slaves. And Teikou killed a whole bunch of them and a fucking shit-load of Dark Claws. We did. Not you.”

“But if I hadn’t—”

“What? Run away? Lived with us? Been born?” Daiki shook his head and leaned back against the door, annoyance contorting his features. “You can’t control the actions of other people, and fuck it, Tetsu. I spent a lot of the last five years regretting taking you in. I thought you might have been better with someone else—or even the Dark Claws. I figured at least then you’d be alive, but y’know? I’m not sorry. I’m fucking glad I found you on the court that day and then went to war against the Dark Claws for you. We all are. 

“Yeah, maybe Ryouta was a tool for saying shit to you, but he’d just as easily squeeze you to death. And Atsushi cooks for no one but you now, and even Midorima gives a shit about you, even if he doesn’t show it. And Akashi, the fucking bastard. He called dibs the first day he met you.”

Tetsuya wasn’t sure when he started crying, only that he was suddenly wiping the tears from the cheeks and giving Daiki a breathless laugh. 

Daiki’s face soothed; a fond smile crossed his usually scowling features. “Teikou was already a coven when we met you, but I don’t know how much we liked each other. I don’t even know how much we do now, but—we had movie nights and breakfast and played basketball together, y’know? You know we never broke our bond, and—and it’s not because we didn’t want to but because we couldn’t. We’re a family, and you made us that.”

“But you still joined different covens,” Tetsuya replied woefully. “I thought—I thought once I left, you’d all just—”

“Go on? Without you?” Daiki came forward to sit parallel to Tetsuya, dropping his hand to Tetsuya’s hair. His cool tips felt refreshing against Tetsuya’s clammy skin. “Teikou was broken long before you left, and you know that. We weren’t great to you in the end, and that’s why you left. What you did maybe didn’t save the coven, but yeah, it saved our lives. And we joined the covens you picked for us.”

“Seirin asked the leaders to be there for you, not—”

“You picked them for us,” Daiki repeated with a tone of rebuke. “And the Winter Pact, was that your doing, too? Seirin was the one that proposed it.”

Tetsuya glanced away, though he didn’t hit off Daiki’s hand. “Daiki-san is delusional.”

“So I’ve heard.” He let out a hearty laugh, which subdued the last remaining chaos of Tetsuya’s whirlwind emotions. He all but collapsed against the wall, turning his body until Daiki dropped his hand, so Tetsuya could rest his head on Daiki’s muscular shoulder.

Daiki sighed then, disparagingly. “Midorima was hurt, y’know. Before Akashi came to try to drink from you. Ryouta, too. Akashi and I were the only ones still standing after that fight, and he thought—if he could just drink from you, he could win. But he didn’t realize what he would take from you if he had—what I had taken from you. You started to fear us after I bit you, with good reason.”

Tetsuya’s head shot up. “Daiki-san, I—”

“Shut up for a minute, all right, Tetsu? Let me say this.” Daiki sucked in a shivering breath, and he looked just as stricken as Tetsuya felt. “I—I don’t know what I could have done differently that day with Haizaki, and I don’t regret that either. I saved your life, but I think—I think that was the day Teikou’s bond began to unravel. And then Midorima almost killed Shige, and Akashi came after you—we handled things wrong because we were all trying to save the coven, so I think it was good that you severed your bond. Atsushi told us how you were in pain when we fought, how when we got injured during the battles, you felt it. So…if you hadn’t severed your bond, then…maybe…maybe—”

He would have died anyway. 

“We can’t go back, Tetsu. If anything, the last few months have showed us how we’ve changed. We have our own lives with our covens, but I don’t think we’ve ever gotten over Teikou or losing you. And I don’t think you ever got over us.” 

No. There had always been a sucking void in his chest whenever he heard or thought about Teikou and his time as part of the coven. 

“And that’s why this war—it’s still not about the supernatural races and who’s dominant. It’s not even about Shirogane. For Teikou, it’s always been about protecting our own.” He wrapped an arm about Tetsuya’s shoulders and pulled him against his side. “ _You._ And that’s not going to change now.”

“Yes, it will,” Tetsuya insisted. “Because this time, I’m not going to wait for Teikou to come home. This time, I’m going to help you tear Shirogane’s head from his body.”

An indulgent smile found Daiki’s lips. “Good. Then let’s get out of here, huh? Akashi called the allied covens. He’s holding a meeting of the heads in a few minutes.”

Tetsuya accepted Daiki’s hand and was hulled to his feet. “He never gives up, does he?”

“Like someone else I know.” Daiki ruffled Tetsuya’s hair as they exited the bathroom to the hallway, where the rest of Teikou waited. 

*^*^*

“So it’s an all-out war now,” Kasamatsu spoke after hearing Seijuro’s recount of the battle at Touou’s stronghold. 

“It became so when the Dark Claws attacked Teikou’s den,” Seijuro agreed, “but Shirogane has been growing his numbers for months. Nigou—Hanamiya Makoto—originally from the Kirisaki Daichi Pack and now part of the Seirin Clan, can attest to this.”

The leaders of Kaijo, Shutoku, Yosen, and Touou joined the leadership of Seirin—Aida Riko and Hyuga Junpei—along with all the members of Teikou, Tetsuya, Taiga, Reo, Momoi, and Makoto in the common room. Tetsuya sat in the corner of one the couches with Seijuro on the middle cushion and Reo on the opposite side. Taiga sat on the couch’s arm next to him with Aomine directly behind, while the rest of Teikou stood by their respective leaders. Makoto sat at Tetsuya’s feet, though his bottom shook slightly as if wagging an invisible tail.

His butt stopped moving at the mention of his name, and when he spoke, his voice was clear and serious. “The Dark Claws began attacking the packs in Akita last autumn, biting members of my race and impressing them into their ranks.”

“At the tavern, they branched out to all members of the supernatural races,” Imayoshi recounted, “though I doubt it began there. The Dark Claws must have been increasing his numbers in all the supernatural races for months.”

“They’ve been increasing their ranks in Harajuku as well,” Hyuga said, arms crossed as he leaned back on one of the couches. “They seem to be impressing every member of the supernatural races not bound to a coven or flutter or pack.”

“To what end?” Okamura asked. “He can’t still be after the fabled Pure.”

“We have reason to believe he is hoping to produce more of that endangered race,” Seijuro replied. 

“More?” Otsubo repeated. “Are you saying the Pure actually exist?”

Seijuro’s expression remained somber as he kept Otsubo’s gaze. “Yes. Kuroko Tetsuya of Seirin and Teikou is the only known Pure.”

Taiga placed a hand upon Tetsuya’s shoulder, drawing everyone’s attention to him, and Tetsuya let out a disparaging sigh as almost everyone not in Teikou jumped at his “sudden” appearance. It wasn’t that he expected them to notice him, but it somehow began to annoy him how few people did. Though during usual circumstances, he would have laughed inwardly at having shocked the leaders of such powerful covens. 

Instead, he just bowed his head and greeted, “Hello.” 

Kasamatsu recovered the quickest, probably because he’d dealt with the impulsive Ryouta for the last five years. “You said Shirogane is trying to create more.”

“He has my parents, Garcia Alexandria and Nakatani Masaaki.”

“The leader of the L.A. Coven and one of the Five Great Slayers? _They’re_ your parents?”

“So what?” Otsubo interjected, sitting back in his seat. “The Pure were myth. Even if Kuroko-kun is one, how do we know he has any of the fabled powers of one?”

“Because Kuroko-kun bit Mibuchi Reo and made him human,” Riko replied, her fingers dipping to fold with Reo’s in silent encouragement. From an adjacent chair, Hyuga looked pained and angry, like he wanted to reach over and tear them away, but he refrained.

Reo patted her hand. “It’s true. After Shirogane bit me, Tetsu-chan followed, turning me human and breaking Shirogane’s hold upon me. I’m sure all the vampires in the room now enjoy my lovely new scent.”

Even Tetsuya could smell the difference—the light, refreshing smell of life force that now flowed through Reo’s veins. It was so much sweeter than the putrid scent each vampire exuded from their last feeding. 

Otsubo’s eyes trembled as they glanced between Reo and Tetsuya, unsure what to make of the situation, and Tetsuya held his breath. He knew Seijuro would reveal his identity to the allied covens, but every time a vampire learned he was a Pure, a fearful expression crossed their faces before a look of desire sparkled in their eyes. They’d heard the rumors, of the delectable taste of a Pure’s blood and the unfathomable power it could grant its devourer, but that was all they had been—rumors. And now that not only the truth of that power existed, but could also be used to turn a vicious and powerful vampire back into a human—What did that mean for the war? 

What did that mean for the superiority of their race? What did that mean for vampires overall?

Though Taiga’s hand tightened upon his shoulder—he would fight every one of them for him, as would Daiki, as would Makoto, Hyuga and Riko, and every member of Teikou—it still unnerved Tetsuya to be looked at like nothing more than a piece of steak to be sucked dry on a whim. 

But Otsubo’s eyes shifted to Seijuro a moment later, and he let out a pent-up sigh. “You gathered us here for a reason, Akashi. Do you want our help to protect the Pure from Shirogane and the Dark Claws? Is that it?”

Akashi’s eyes glowed a vibrant red, as bright and alluring as blood itself, as he addressed the room. “No, that is Teikou’s purpose. Our collective purpose in accordance of the Winter Pact is to finish what we started five years ago—to kill Shirogane and end the vicious reign of the Dark Claws permanently. ”

“How can we possibly do that?” Okamura scoffed. “We don’t know his numbers or his stronghold. We only know of the existence of this Shirogane Eiji through your insistence.”

Makoto growled on the floor, slowly getting up on his haunches, but Tetsuya pacified him with a few pets on the head. 

“Shirogane attacked our stronghold at Teikou Tower and then found us at Touou’s tavern,” Seijuro replied, sitting on the edge. He appeared outwardly calm, though Tetsuya saw the tight grip he held upon his pants. “There is no doubt he is able to locate us.”

“Through Kuroko-kun?” Kasamatsu offered. 

“No. He’s never bitten Tetsuya, but from those who have sired vampires can attest, there is a very intimate relationship between a sire and their offspring.” Daiki, Atsushi, and Shintarou all shifted uncomfortably, but they didn’t disagree. Taiga, too, looked pained, though he actually calmed when Seijuro glanced back at him with a tiny, encouraging smile. “You can feel your offspring’s emotions, their fears, and even receive some of their memories when resting. They become a part of you, perhaps more than you become of them. That is how Shirogane finds Tetsuya.”

“Eh? You’re speaking in riddles today, Akashi-kun,” Imayoshi interrupted. “You said Shirogane never bit Kuroko-kun.”

“Yes, because he didn’t.” 

Tetsuya’s world crumble upon his shoulders as Seijuro’s hands uncharacteristically trembled when he spoke in his usual, authoritative tone. 

“Shirogane sired a vampire of the Teikou Coven.”

The silence that followed devoured any breath from the group, and even Tetsuya simply sat in stunned silence. It wasn’t as if the Teikou Coven never spoke about their history, but they only skimmed the surface of their stories—ambiguous details, half-truths, and quick subject changes. They never truly delved into how the vampires came together in the coven—only that Seijuro had found them all and brought them into Teikou.

And one of them was sired by Shirogane? So Seijuro saved that vampire from Shirogane’s grasp? 

Daiki said he was sired by Katsunori Harasawa, who was once one of the Five Great Slayers. Ryouta was a half-breed—part Fae and part vampire—perhaps the only member of Teikou who was born into the supernatural races. Atsushi and Shinatrou were both sired, and Seijuro—he was perhaps the most powerful vampire Tetsuya knew, too powerful to be sired. 

Shintarou’s glasses slipped down the bridge of his nose while Atsushi stopped munching on his bag of chips. They both looked stricken, horrified. Shintarou had been turned into a vampire by a doctor, but was that just a story Seijuro told him? After all, he didn’t remember turning into a vampire or meeting his sire. And Atsushi—Tatsuya had told him that story – that Atsushi had been raised in a werewolf pack before becoming a vampire. It was why he had gone up to Akita to work as a liaison between the vampires and wolves. 

“What does it matter?” Daiki growled. “I might be able to feel how Shige’s emotions, but I can’t find out where he is at any given moment.”

“But Shirogane knows where we go,” Seijuro admitted. “He sees glances of his offspring’s life. That’s how he knew about the tavern, about the basketball court where Tetsuya spent some of his youth, and the tower.”

“So he’s been setting people up where we frequent,” Ryouta wondered. 

Daiki shrugged. “Makes sense, especially with his numbers.”

Kasamatsu narrowed his eyes as he leaned forwarded, hands rubbing from the top of his thighs to his knees. “So while we might not know where he is now—”

“—we can draw him to where we want him to be,” Riko finished. 

“Yes.” Seijuro nodded, hands folded delicately upon his knees. “Then we are in agreement.”

His intense eyes shifted, taking in each member of the council’s face. Riko was the first agree, bowing slightly and offering, “We are in your care, Akashi-san. Hyuga-kun and I will reach out to our allied clans for support.”

Kasamatsu nodded, though he seemed pained when he spoke, “We are at your disposal, Akashi-san.”

A fierce growl rumbled low in the room before Otsubo offered his own affirmation.

“I suppose I’ll reach out to the packs in Tokyo and Akita,” Makoto rejoined with a dark scowl. “If there’s any left, they might want join the fight, though don’t hold your breath.” 

“To war again, huh?” Okamura let out a withering sigh. “We go centuries without one, and then in a five-year period, we have two!”

Tetsuya opened his mouth, though he wasn’t sure what for. To apologize? To agree? The werewolves certainly took the brunt of the causalities, always brought into the fight for simple nature and brute force, and vampires, too, usually found their numbers thinned. And since they were eternal, sometimes covens that had been together for hundreds of years were broken. Slayers, too, found many of their clans wiped out. Not to mention the flutters and humans who got in the way. 

A war between the supernatural races left every race scarred. 

Seijuro offered Tetsuya a gentle squeeze of his hand before he addressed the entire council. “Thank you for your concerted effort in this manner. I have no doubt that together, our clans, covens, and packs will be victorious against the Dark Claws and finally end this war.” He then met the eyes of each of his coven mates. “Daiki, Atsushi, Shintarou, Ryouta, Tetsuya. May I please speak with you alone for a moment?”

Not surprisingly, Kasamatsu stood first, placing a hand upon Ryouta’s shoulder as he passed. Otsubo followed, palming Midorima’s head before leaving, too, while Okamura hit up Atsushi’s chin. Imayoshi flicked Daiki in the back of the head as he passed, and when Taiga stood, he motioned toward Makoto to join him. 

“Stay, Taiga,” Seijuro requested, not commanded, in a light, welcoming voice. “You are now Teikou.”

“Why don’t you come with us, Makoto-kun?” Riko called. “I believe Teppei has some treats for you. Perhaps those chocolate-covered bacon bits you like so much.”

“That guy? He’s more useless as a flutter during a full moon,” Makoto muttered but quickly shifted into his dog form and raced out the door. 

Tetsuya shared a quick, knowing smile with Taiga, who’s eyes crinkled in response. Nigou’s love of chocolate-covered bacon bits was legendary, and after a hard battle, Tetsuya liked to spoil him. Of course, he had to fight Nigou before he devoured the whole bag, and Tetsuya cursed himself now. Of course, Nigou was a werewolf. No ordinary dog could ever survive eating so much chocolate. 

The warm memories cooled once Teikou remained in the living room, and Shintarou took a seat upon a perpendicular couch while Atsushi stood off the side, empty handed for one of the first times Tetsuya ever saw. When Seijuro rose to his feet, his eyes dusted over each member’s face, settling on Tetsuya’s for a brief moment, before a subdued but kind smile crossed his features. 

“The past is irrelevant. We have never been defined by our sires but by our bonds here, in this room and with our respective covens. That is all that matters.”

“But Akashi—”

“I chose you all,” Seijuro interrupted Shintarou, turning to pin his second-in-command with a stern but reassuring gaze. “My decision to include you in Teikou was a not frivolous whim. I knew each of you would become contributing members of our coven, and it is only with you that Teikou became as powerful as it is. No one else could have accomplished such a feat, and even if they could, I would not have wanted to ally myself with them. 

“We may now have promised our loyalties to other covens, but I am and always will be grateful to call you family.”

Now Shintarou hmphed and pushed up his glasses, though a distinct rosy tinge brightened his cheeks. “I suppose that is your way of soothing our doubts with this sudden revelation.”

“Take from it what you wish, but this battle will be fierce. Everyone in this room will be essential to obtain victory.”

“How is that possible, Akashi?” Daiki asked before scowling and dipping to reclaim his jacket, the one Makoto shed when he left in his dog-form. “If Shirogane’s offspring is among us, then we’ll end up fighting him _and_ Shirogane.”

“Yes, we will address that with the other covens, but there is a reason I asked for privacy.” 

Tetsuya followed Seijuro, mildly alarmed when the coven leader approached with a blank expression. Then, it shifted into one of sorrow as he dropped to one knee and then the other before taking both of Tetsuya’s hands in his own. 

“I would ask you to refrain from the upcoming battle, but I believe that is a lost cause. However, I cannot allow you to fight in the state you are in.”

Every nerve in Tetsuya’s body tingled with equal parts anticipation and apprehension at the sincerity in Seijuro’s eyes and voice. 

“You—You want to make me a vampire?” The breathless whisper barely made it to his ears. 

“No, that would even put you more at risk,” Seijuro admonished lightly, his hand coming up to cradle Tetsuya’s cheek. “If you are still mortal, Shirogane will still want you alive. As a vampire, you are worth as much to him as one of his mindless soldiers.”

“Then…” _…what are you asking of me?_

Seijuro hesitated, something Tetsuya had never seen him do, and it made Tetsuya’s stomach stir unpleasantly. “Daiki may have been the first one to bite you, but Shirogane has as well. If by some chance Shirogane is able to harm Daiki, you, too, will become vulnerable in the battle, which we cannot allow.”

Shintarou understood Seijuro’s meeting first, letting out a loud gasp, followed by Ryouta, who wailed like a child. Atsushi’s furious huff was the most threatening as Seijuro’s hair actually ruffled from the force of his sigh, and Taiga turned to Daiki, who was ruffling the back of his hair. 

“I don’t get it,” he muttered. 

Daiki’s eyes, however, glowed a venomous red. “You cannot serious, Akashi.”

Tetsuya himself blinked, blindsided and numb by Seijuro’s request. 

“You are understandably protective, Daiki,” Seijuro addressed, standing to meet Daiki head-on, though he held Tetsuya’s hand firmly, “but I felt if I discussed this with you first, it would diminish Tetsuya’s right to choose his own path. He is a member of this coven just the same as you.”

“But—you can’t be serious!” Daiki yelled, storming around the couch to tower over Seijuro. “He’s a member of our coven, not a meal.”

“I am not suggesting that he is, and I do not appreciate the implication that you are—”

Taiga surprised Tetsuya by clamping a head upon his hair and shouting, “What the hell are you talking about?” 

Daiki and Seijuro continued to ignore him. “Your morals aside, this is the proper course of action—”

“Proper, or are you just trying to increase our abilities before the next—”

“He is right, Aomine,” Shinatrou interjected, his face tight and closed off, more so than usual. 

“Oh for crying out loud—you can’t be fucking serious, Midorima!”

“I do not like better than you do, but Akashi is right. If Kuroko is fight alongside with us, we need to secure his safety first, so he cannot be used against his own free will.”

“Wait!” Taiga’s claws tightened their hold on Tetsuya’s head. “Akashi, you can’t really mean to—to feed upon Tetsu, do you?” His low voice drifted toward the end of his question as if he didn’t want to give the thought traction. 

“He’s not looking to feed, Taiga-kun,” Tetsuya said, and he praised himself for keeping his voice as steady as possible. “He wants every member of Teikou to bite me and drink my blood, so they will all have equal footing against Shirogane when it comes to me and—and my _master._ ”

Tetsuya spit the word like it offended him because it did. Even though he used the title “master” with Daiki a few times and called Seijuro “Sei-sama,” never had he actually thought either of them would treat him as a servant. Even the few times Daiki ordered him were for his own protection, but this—actually allowing the Teikou vampires to break his skin and drink his blood made him feel dirty, violated, and inferior. 

And yet, before Taiga managed a shrieked objection, Tetsuya found himself murmuring, “…all right.”

Seijuro’s hand tightened about his. “Are you sure, Tetsuya?”

Tetsuya released a long sigh, which deflated his shoulders but not his conviction, and he met Seijuro’s worrisome eyes with a reassuring gaze. “I trust my coven, Sei-san, and its leader. If you believe this is necessary, then I will endure it, so that I may fight by your side.”

That was all he ever had wanted—not to be left behind again. He was no longer a child to be safeguarded and kept in a cage, and he would accept the risks of battle and freedom. He would also enjoy the burden of absolute trust as he pushed off the couch and turned to Taiga, slipping off his wristband from his clean wrist and offering the pristine skin to Taiga. 

“ _Osaki ni douzo._ ”

Taiga’s face blanched, and he looked sick. When he turned to Seijuro for some sort of help, the leader just nodded, but Tetsuya helped him, opening Taiga’s clenched fist and placing his slender wrist into its wide palm. 

For the one with whom Tetsuya once shared a soul—Taiga deserved the first bite, and Tetsuya felt the least embarrassed offering it to him. 

Taiga’s cool breath ghosted over his clammy skin before a quick stab tensed every muscle in Tetsuya’s body. One dribble of blood slipped out from Taiga’s mouth and slid down Tetsuya’s pure canvass, but he barely focused on it as his eyes rolled back and the euphoria shot through his veins with every suckle of Taiga’s hungry lips. 

The teasing warmth swelled in Tetsuya’s body again before being chased out by the brisk, cool sensation that swept through him like a violent undertow. Every suck, every swipe of Taiga’s tongue across his fiery skin drew Tetsuya further and further into the dark ecstasy of a vampire’s lust, and he almost felt greedy, never wanting Taiga to stop.

A hand dropped to Taiga’s hair, while another drew away Taiga’s sinful lips and teeth, and Tetsuya would have protested, cold and abandoned, if another mouth didn’t take its place. Atsushi-san, Tetsuya saw, and while Taiga was inexperienced and demanding during his feeding, Atsushi was a gourmet chef and eater, slurping from the vein like how he would eat – loudly and appreciatively. Every draw sent a pulse of electricity through Tetsuya’s body, and he let out a tiny choked sound, tears stinging the edge of his eyes as the pleasure pooled low in Tetsuya’s belly until he thought he might pass out. 

Shintarou, too, was skilled in the art of drinking blood and delivering pleasure, having been a vampire for more than three centuries. He drew the blood from Tetsuya’s vein like a skilled surgeon, worrying the skin with nips and caresses, which created an endless stream to drink. 

Tetsuya’s legs gave out at some time, and someone cradled him from behind. He began to pant, unable to vent his excitement any other way. He groaned and stirred in Seijuro’s lap, his jeans incredibly tight and his body a hot mess of lust and wanton desire. 

Cool lips pressed against his cheek but weren’t enough to ground him. 

“It’s almost over, Tetsuya. Just a few more moments,” Seijuro encouraged, but he was too hot. Feverish but they were drinking his blood, draining him. Why was he hot then?

His shirt brushed against his chest, and he wanted the uncomfortable material—the _very_ uncomfortable material—off. He wanted Sei-san’s lips lower, kneading the burning skin on his sensitive neck and stiff nipples. He wanted Sei-san’s hand, currently holding his hip, coaxing his confined hardened cock to full length. 

Delirious from the pleasure coursing through his veins and igniting his every nerve, he didn’t care that he was in a room surrounded by his brothers. The wanton lust rose until he dipped his head back against Sei-san’s shoulder, limp hand stroking the curve of Sei-san elegant features. He pressed his numb lips against Sei-san’s cool, tight ones in a wet, messy embrace. 

It wasn’t enough. He wanted more. He wanted Sei-san on him, _in_ him, but then the pressure lifted on his wrist. He collapsed back against Seijuro’s, chest heaving with every sharp inhale, as the insatiable desire that once spun his head and swirled his thoughts remained only in the tinging of his skin and the tightness in his groin. 

Drenched in sweat, exhausted beyond anything he’d known before, Tetsuya watched helplessly as Seijuro lifted his wrist and swept his tongue from the curve of Tetsuya’s elbow all the way to his palm. Sei-san swirled his tongue along the lines, lapping up the excess blood and closing his wounds, and that was when Tetsuya finally passed out. 

_To Be Continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya gets bitten, and it makes him very...excited.


	18. A Booty Call with a Vampire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter is explicit. 
> 
> Sorry for the delay. I was swallowed by the awesomeness that is VLD. My focus right now is to finish posting this story and a few others I wrote for KnB. Thanks for your patience!

"It-It felt good, but I didn’t like it,” Taiga admitted, head ducked, cheeks red with embarrassment, but he buzzed with excitement, unable to sit still for a moment. Tetsuya’s blood raced through his veins, giving him excess energy to burn. “I mean, I kinda liked it, y’know? It makes you feel all warm inside, and then it—it—”

“You got horny, like Tetsu did,” Daiki added for him, impatient. 

“Shut up! Gah, do you always to be so crass?” 

“And when did you become an old woman, huh?” 

“I’m not a—why do I even talk to you? You’re such an ass.”

They sat on the roof of the apartment building where Taiga and Tetsuya lived, away from the bright lights and sounds of Shibuya. Though vampires learned to deal with the loud noises and bright lights, Tetsuya still had a problem, and waking up in the Seirin Clan’s stronghold of Harajuku with all the noise and bluster would have been debilitating. Instead, they retreated here—Daiki and Taiga on look-out duty, Seijuro and Tetsuya in the apartment resting. They waited for Tetsuya to recover, so Teikou and Seirin would be at full strength when they took on Shirogane and the Dark Claws. 

With their legs dangling over the roof’s edge, the empty take-out trays behind them from a burger joint, Taiga let out a tiny sigh. “I didn’t like doing that to him.”

Daiki glanced over, surprised by the sudden admission, before leaning back and stretching. “Yeah, me, either. It’s—It’s Tetsu, y’know? He’s my little brother, and you never want to turn your little brother into a hot mess of hormones and shit. It’s just wrong.”

“Yeah.”

Daiki’s hand fell upon Taiga’s, and he offered a gentle squeeze. “But you had to do it. If Tetsu wants to join the fight, then we have to make sure he’s safe, and I think Tetsu trusts you more than anyone else because of your blood seal. That’s going to be important in the fight.”

“Doesn’t really make feel better.”

“All right. Then how about this?”

Daiki’s lips were temptingly warm and tantalizing sweet from their milkshakes, but Taiga kept his eyes open, even when Daiki shut his. He went through the motions, but when Daiki’s hand ran down his chest, his six-pack, and began working on his jeans’ button, Taiga grabbed it. 

“Look, I-I—”

“I thought you said you were horny,” Daiki asked. 

“You said I was, and anyway, I don’t do stuff with someone who means nothing to me, all right?”

Daiki’s eyes were wide and bright, even as the eyebrows came together and formed a line in the middle of his forehead. “What the fuck are you talking—wait, that night in the alley? Taiga, I just found out Tetsu was alive, and you kept it from me for almost three years. Cut me some slack.”

“You said we were nothing.” Taiga wished he didn’t sound so pathetic. “And that’s fine. If we’re nothing, then—then let’s just stop doing this.”

“Aren’t you always telling me not to be an ass? So stop being one yourself.” Daiki glanced away, looking annoyed and frustrated, but when he turned back, his eyes shimmered with something Taiga couldn’t quite understand. “I won’t forgive you for letting me think Tetsu was dead for three years, so you’re just going to have to live with that. But you kept him alive and safe and even put your life on the line for him, so you also have my gratitude.”

“Daiki—”

“And there ain’t no one I spend three years waiting for, eternal life be damned. So stop acting like an old woman and let’s fuck already. I hear make-up sex is the best kind.”

Taiga laughed and glanced away himself, to hide the tears blurring his vision. “Only you’d think that was a sufficient apology.”

It wasn’t one—because when he loved, Taiga gave everything to the other person—but he loved Daiki. And Daiki loved him, he knew from the three years they’d been together. Daiki not only cared about him but also _for_ him, surprising him sometimes after slays, meeting him for dinner and drinks, sometimes just doing nothing but lying next to him at night. 

Daiki was it for him, and even though they had been fighting for the last however many months, Daiki still came to save him and then comforted him once he became a vampire. And somehow, with Daiki at his side, eternity didn’t seem so scary. 

When he turned back, Daiki was already invading his personal space, lips coming to the press against the curve of his neck, hand working on his jeans again. “What do you want to hear? I love you? If you don’t know I do by now, then you really are an idiot.”

“You could…bite me, if you want.”

Now Daiki stiffened and pulled away just enough to glare at Taiga’s face. “Is this your idea of a fucking joke? Because there ain’t no way I’m going to—”

“Tetsu seemed to…enjoy it,” Taiga managed. This was _so_ embarrassing. “And I remember feeling his surprise and then… _enjoyment_ …when I received some of his memories. It felt…good, like ridiculously good, to be bitten. And all the other times I’ve been bitten while slaying—it never felt good. It was more like someone was trying to suck all the blood from my body, not…feed.”

“That’s exactly what they were trying to do,” Daiki chastised, but his eyes drifted to the curve of Taiga’s neck and never looked away. He then shook his head vehemently, as if trying to free himself from a trance. “I don’t drink from warm bodies anymore.” 

“Come on, Daiki. You didn’t feed from me when I was human. Do it now.”

“Gah, is this a kink for you or something? Don’t tell me this was why you became a slayer in the first place.”

“Shut up! Tetsu just really seemed to enjoy it. I thought maybe…” 

His face was so hot, so red, and what was he saying? Geez. Was he really talking about his fantasies with the biggest asshole on the planet (who also happened to be his lover)? Lover—even that made him sound all grown-up and—

He hissed when sharp fangs buried lip-deep in his throat, and his body grew hot—unbearably so—until his T-shirt and jacket were stifling and constraining. The cool rush that followed submerged Taiga in wondrous desire, and he allowed Daiki to run his hands along the curves of his abdomen, the muscles contracting with every breath. He lifted his head to give Daiki better access to his vein, and Daiki took it greedily, pushing Taiga to the roof and covering the younger vampire with his own body. 

Taiga’s groin throbbed, and he began to rub against Daiki’s legs shamelessly. He wanted more, needed more, the pleasure building in his heated body until he couldn’t take it. 

Of course, Daiki pulled away before Taiga released, bloody lips somehow hauntingly beautiful. “Hm. Akashi was right. I do enjoy this.”

“Shut up and fuck me already, huh? I’m dying here.”

“You’re already dead.”

“I hate you so much.”

“Yeah, yeah...”

“And I love you, too.”

Daiki licked up Taiga’s neck, cleaning him, marking him with his scent, and at the same time, healing him from the bite. Then he smiled a true, bright, and private grin, which he only allowed Taiga to see. “You better.”

*^*^* 

The apartment was comfortably silent when Tetsuya returned to consciousness. His senses were hyper aware while his skin still tingled from where the remaining members of the Teikou Coven fed. Though his cock no longer pressed against the fly of his jeans, the shame and humiliation washed over him with a healthy dose of regret as he remembered squirming in Seijuro’s lap and wanting him right then and there. And he would have happily sacrificed himself to the cause—any cause, really—if Seijuro would have agreed to impale him on the spot. 

But Seijuro had remained calm and indulgent, kissing him back but not allowing it to go any further than that. Had Seijuro even bitten him? Tetsuya couldn’t remember. 

On the very edge of his hearing, he could just make out the muffled sounds of grunts and pleasure. Ugh. With his heavy arms, he grabbed the couch pillow behind him and pulled it over his head. Daiki and Taiga were going at it on the roof, and he wanted to pierce his own ears with his daggers. 

“Despite what people believe,” a soothing voice sounded just to Tetsuya’s left, “vampires are very sensual beings. They can give pleasure just as easily as they can give pain.”

Tetsuya refused to lift the pillow from his head. “So I hear.”

Seijuro’s laughter was light and comforting. “Yes, well, I believe Daiki is enjoying his first taste of fresh blood in quite some time. We shouldn’t disturb them.” His voice shifted then, expression becoming equally thoughtful and regretful. “So this is where you lived the last five years? It’s…quite…”

“Cozy?” Tetsuya offered, turning his head to meet Seijuro’s gaze. 

“I was going to say pedestrian but yes, cozy as well.”

Tetsuya would have taken offense, but Seijuro sat on the floor, between the couch and the coffee table, so he was close and eyelevel with Tetsuya. He wore a tiny smile of humor, and Tetsuya responded by throwing the pillow at him, which Seijuro deflected easily. 

Tetsuya stared at Seijuro for a long moment, enjoying the flecks of gold in Seijuro’s crimson eyes and the warmth that lived there despite his cold demeanor. He endured his own inspection, though he didn’t feel scrutinized. He felt more…cherished, perhaps even precious. 

He glanced about the small living room with second-hand furniture and cracked cups. Taiga hadn’t even fixed the curtain rod that Tetsuya ripped down during his first fight with Seijuro months ago, and a dagger was still stuck in their kitchen cabinet. 

“Tell me he at least did the dishes.” 

Seijuro laughed again, true and light. “Most of them, but he failed to take out the trash.”

Tetsuya moaned but swung his legs over the edge of the couch to sit up. The world took a few moments to come back into focus, but then Seijuro pressed a mug of tea into his hands. It was warm and soothing on his raw throat.

“We moved in here about four and a half years ago,” Tetsuya explained between sips. “I couldn’t get comfortable in Harajuku. It was always so loud, so busy, so Taiga agreed to move here with me.”

Seijuro’s eyes looked sad. “I’m glad you found others to rely upon when you could not rely upon Teikou.”

“Sei-san—” 

“It seems I can never repay the Aida Clan for their endless kindness.”

Tetsuya blinked. “I do not understand.”

Seijuro took a measured sip of his own tea, making sure to swallow, and inhaled sharply. “Seirin grew out the deaths of many clans in Tokyo, led originally by one of the Five Great Slayers, Aida Kagetora.”

“And Riko-san now leads Seirin, but why is that of any consequence to you?”

“Because Riko’s grandfather helped me to escape Shirogane just over a century ago.”

Tetsuya hissed when the hot tea spilled over his pants, the mug having slipped through his suddenly numb fingers. He stared, dumbfounded and shaking, as Seijuro grabbed a dish towel and knelt before Tetsuya, dabbing his soaked jeans. 

“Riko’s grandfather and Nijimura Shuuzo freed me from Shirogane’s hold, and Shuu welcomed me into Teikou. I slowly began to build a powerful coven I knew would be able to combat Shirogane if need be, if he rose to power again.”

“If he ever came back for you,” Tetsuya interpreted in a gutted murmur. 

Seijuro froze but still focused on Tetsuya’s legs, as if not daring to meet Tetsuya’s gaze. “He had reason to. I don’t know exactly how the power of a Pure transforms once one becomes a vampire, but I know it makes a stronger vampire than a sired one. Hence, Pureblooded Vampires.”

Seijuro, _Sei-san_ , had been a Pure before becoming a vampire, before Shirogane turned him into a vampire, and Seijuro never mentioned this. None of the other members of Teikou ever told him. No. They never knew. 

Now, Seijuro was trusting him, and Tetsuya reveled in it, even if his insides knotted. He brushed his hand against Seijuro’s cheek and lifted up the vampire’s chin, forcing their eyes to meet. Never had he seen Seijuro so vulnerable. He looked young, so lost, and Tetsuya could imagine the young mortal Seijuro was, trapped in a world of torture and fear. 

“Why did he turn you into a vampire? Shirogane didn’t try to bite me before the fight at the tower.”

“The potency of a Pure’s blood lowers every time he is bitten, but in a world where the Pure are ubiquitous and are kept by vampires like chattel, it matters little, unless the Pure you are selling begins to bite your clients and make them human.”

“But—But Sei-san, every time a Pure makes a vampire human—”

“—they suffer through the death the human would have received if he had not been turned into a vampire,” Seijuro replied, leaning into Tetsuya’s hand like the lifeline perhaps it was. “Reo, how would he have—”

“—bullet, to the abdomen.” Tetsuya’s hands dropped to Seijuro’s and cradled them tightly. His voice shook as much as his hands. “He would have bled out.” 

Seijuro’s usual calm demeanor shattered, his face stricken. “Tetsuya, you—”

“How many people did you make human, Sei-san?” he said, hoping his voice didn’t sound too frightened. He did _not_ want to talk about that night, watching as Reo’s eyes fluttered open, bright inside a revived body, and then the sudden pain in his stomach dragging him in the ground. Taiga collapsed with him, pressing a hand to his abdomen and coming away, red. His eyes shook, and only with Reo’s help had they managed to get out of there without anyone noticing, even Nebuya. 

Seijuro squeezed his hand, bringing him back to the present, though he delved into his own past. “I only turned a few before Shirogane had no choice but to make me a vampire when the rest of my charm was massacred, and I was dying.”

Tetsuya now glanced away, his own dark memories resurfacing from the years he spent as nothing more than a blood slave, and now Seijuro came to hold him close, pressing a chaste kiss to Tetsuya’s forehead. He shuddered, not from the embrace but from the pain he only could imagine Seijuro, too, endured. 

Chattel, slaves, breeding. Tetsuya’s time in the Dark Claws’ hold was insufferable, but Seijuro’s time sounded infinitely worse. It made Tetsuya sick just thinking about it, and now, it made sense. 

“You didn’t bite me.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Will you now?”

Seijuro’s fingers brushed across Tetsuya’s bare wrists, where Seijuro had cleaned his wounds, so no scars remained from the most recent feeding. “Do you want me to?”

“Yes,” Tetsuya said, startling himself with the lack of hesitation. He’d wanted Seijuro to feed on him at the bar, then again earlier that night, and even when Seijuro waited on his bed, that first night he snuck away from Teikou Tower. He wanted to feel Seijuro’s cool lips upon his neck, the smooth glide of Seijuro’s tongue along his warm skin, and Seijuro’s hot length filling him with a satisfying burn.

He wanted to be completely devoured by Akashi Seijuro. 

Tetsuya moaned when Seijuro leaned forward to capture his lips in a quick but igniting embrace, his eyes sliding shut. When Seijuro nibbled on his bottom lip, Tetsuya easily opened his mouth to welcome Seijuro’s essence, and his arms wrapped about Seijuro’s neck. His fingers entangled in Seijuro’s soft strands. 

Tetsuya couldn’t shake the feeling that perhaps this moment had been coming since he woke in Seijuro’s arms in that rundown ryokan a decade earlier. 

His eyes fluttered; his mouth chased after Seijuro’s when he briefly pulled away to mutter, “You smell like werewolf.”

“Sorry,” Tetsuya replied, sheepish. “Makoto-chan hasn’t let me out of his sight since he showed us his human form.”

“I’m glad he’s occupied now.”

“Yes, that is fortunate, but I am blessed with so many people who care for me.”

“Tetsuya,” Seijuro said breathlessly, ghosting kisses along Tetsuya’s chin, “I won’t let Shirogane get you. Not again.”

Cradling Seijuro’s cheeks in his hands, Tetsuya smiled one of the few genuine smiles he ever offered. “I won’t let him get you either, Sei-san. You are mine, and he cannot have you.”

The words startled Seijuro, who didn’t seem to be used to the idea of belonging to someone, but then he delved into Tetsuya’s mouth again as his need to mark and claim Tetsuya grew even more feverish. 

Desire began to simmer in Tetsuya’s groin as Seijuro traced the lines of Tetsuya’s milky collarbone with his tongue. Then, his hands dipped under Tetsuya’s shirt to skim his torso and up to his chest. An intense shiver rippled through Tetsuya when the vampire swiped his cool hands across his hardening nipples, though his lips remained latched to the supple flesh of his throat. Tetsuya couldn’t stop the sensual moan that escaped his slack mouth when Seijuro dropped a hand to his thick groin and squeezed.

Seijuro manipulated them until he sat in the middle cushion of the couch, Tetsuya straddling his waist, and the mortal gasped when something hard and warm teased the curve of his ass. Tetsuya allowed Seijuro to lift his shirt, that sinful tongue teasing his nipples into stiff peaks, and he could only curl about Seijuro’s head, demanding more, demanding everything. 

They undressed as they went, Seijuro looming over Tetsuya with open jeans and messed hair after they toppled to the side of the couch and Seijuro’s magnificent body draped across his. Tetsuya almost felt worshiped when Seijuro’s lips and teeth latched onto his taunt body, running over the firm muscles and forcing his hips to jump in wanton need. 

One of Seijuro’s hands slid across the tented front of Tetsuya’s jeans and pulled, freeing him of underwear and pants with a few swift tugs. Seijuro gazed down at him, a tender, affectionate glint admiring his completely naked and vulnerable body. It both flattered and unnerved Tetsuya, who felt the sudden urge to cover himself, but before he could even move, Seijuro ducked his head and teased his body with breathless kisses. 

The anticipation drowned Tetsuya in a wave of lightheadedness, all his nerves alive and his exposed cock throbbing for attention. 

“You are beautiful,” Seijuro whispered in his ear, burning Tetsuya’s cheeks, before the mortal’s fingers once more buried in Seijuro’s hair, pulling their lips close again.

Cool hands teased the hot length until Tetsuya’s hips arched against his coaxing touch. A weak cry broke free from Tetsuya’s lips as he pressed his face against Seijuro’s shoulder, the expert ministrations almost too much take. He almost released from a simple swipe of Seijuro’s thumb, which brushed across the top of his cock and came away with pre-cum. 

“ _Please…Sei-san, please, I—_ ” he began to beg, but Seijuro just pressed a peck to his lips and then settled between Tetsuya’s thighs, his fingers spreading Tetsuya’s cheeks to expose his tight, virgin pucker. Tetsuya’s entire body spasmed when something cool and wet slid across the quivering muscle. 

“Nh! Ahh-ah!” Tetsuya gripped the plush couch, his head rolling from side to side as something foreign but persistent forced its way past the tight ring of muscle, making it convulse with desperate need. The friction swelled Tetsuya’s already aching erection, drawing him closer and closer to utter bliss. 

“Hm. It seems you know to whom you belong and have been waiting for me,” Seijuro delighted, and Tetsuya panted, taking a few moments to recover from the new but not unwanted sensations. Then, something hot and slick dipped inside his needy little hole. 

He immediately gasped, body curling, fingers splaying in Seijuro’s disheveled mop as the vampire persevered with long, powerful strokes, teasing Tetsuya’s virgin flesh with his wicked tongue. He unraveled the layers of Tetsuya’s tightly reigned self-control, softening the once stubborn pucker until it greedily ate one finger, then another, and another. He thrust his tongue in as far as it could go, eliciting a broken sob, and Tetsuya thought his heart would thunder out of his chest when Seijuro sucked his now smooth, slick entrance. 

He collapsed upon the pillows, chest heaving, sweat pooling on his skin, and yet, he wanted more of the vampire who leered at him. He would have tried to shy away from the daring gaze, but he was too exhausted, too warm for such childish emotions. Instead, he smiled and brushed his hand along Seijuro’s cheek, drawing him closer. 

“Sei-san is quite the skilled lover.”

“And we haven’t even started the main event.” 

“You could go easy on me.”

“Do you want me to?”

They both knew the answer to that, but Tetsuya spoke it anyway, “No. Mess me up, Sei.”

No honorifics to hide behind. No barriers or secrets between them now. Seijuro bared them completely until their bodies and souls were exposed, their mouths fused in a searing embrace that neither wanted to end. 

Something cool and thick pressed against his inner thigh, brushing against his scrotum, and Tetsuya gasped. He always assumed Seijuro would be well endowed, but he wasn’t sure how that would be to fit in his backside, even stretched to its limit. 

His fears dispersed, or rather Seijuro distracted him when the vampire buried his face in the crook of Tetsuya’s neck, his arms wrapped around Tetsuya’s waist. He lifted Tetsuya onto his knees, pressing his hardened length against Tetsuya’s now supple entrance, and a choked cry sounded in Tetsuya’s throat as his walls stretched and burned with the slow but determined intrusion of Seijuro’s cock. 

His lustful moan echoed as he arched his back to accept the throbbing arousal to the hilt, delirious from the panting and overwhelming sensations, arms wrapped about Seijuro’s shoulders to stay upright, and he shuddered, so full and hot. He continued to breathe, tears streaming from his eyes, as he tried to adjust to the new waves of pleasure tightening his muscles and locking his legs about Seijuro’s waist, until Seijuro’s hands glided up his back, keeping his close. 

“Are you all right?” 

“Uh…y-yes…”

“Good.”

Then, Seijuro bit into his previously unspoiled neck, claiming him utterly. 

The pain wasn’t as fierce as Daiki’s first bite all those years ago, but Seijuro caught him off guard with the sudden stab. His lewd body responded instantly as if answering a call of its master, Tetsuya’s hips slamming down onto Seijuro’s cock, forcing him deeper. Seijuro rocked, meeting Tetsuya’s now deprived thrusts with his own intense responses, timing them with the suckling of Tetsuya’s vein. 

A new level of pleasure muddled Tetsuya’s mind as Seijuro’s coolness splashed him with a refreshing glow, and his eyes rolled back, his hold weakening and the arousal overwhelmed him. Seijuro’s lips pursed upon his once pristine skin, drinking with long, seductive swallows; Seijuro slid out completely, granting Tetsuya a few moments to recover, only to ram back in. 

Tetsuya felt himself falling backward onto the couch and let out an undignified groan as he landed on the pillows. With a roll of his hips and a rather cruel suck, Seijuro fueled Tetsuya’s white hot desire. Flesh slapped against flesh as Tetsuya’s desperate, needy cries mixed with Seijuro’s grunts. The distinctive smell of sex permeated the air, and Tetsuya thought nothing was ever as perfect as the moment Seijuro lifted up his head, blood dripping down his chin, and kissed him, allowing him to taste his own life force.

It was different than he remembered, then he’d ever tasted when he’d been hit and bled. His blood tasted pleasant and tangy, of power and pleasure. 

When Seijuro bit into him again, Tetsuya’s stomach wound tighter and tighter as his sensitivity heightened and his arousal only grew. His burgeoning cock rubbed against his and Seijuro’s sweaty bodies; his walls tightened on their own accord, violently and instinctively. He thought Seijuro must have been trying to stifle him because he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t speak. He could only mumble, “Please, ah! Ngh! Sei—please. Ugh!” 

Then a jolt of Seijuro’s hips, coupled with the seductive lick of his neck, brought Tetsuya to the very edge of ecstasy, and he wondered how he’d ever feared this intimacy. Seijuro seemed to understand his thoughts, wrapping his sharp fingers about Tetsuya’s now flushed cock, and his deep, penetrating thrusts became animalistic and desperate. 

“ _Sei, Sei, Sei…_ ” became Tetsuya’s mantra, a whispered admission that only Seijuro could do this to him, could make him come completely undone, and then Seijuro pounded into him with one vicious thrust coupled with a powerful suck, and Tetsuya’s walls clamped down upon Seijuro’s cock. Warmth dribbled down his neck, splashed against their stomachs, and slicked Tetsuya’s thighs as he came with violent shudder. 

Seijuro followed a moment later, Tetsuya’s convulsing walls milking Seijuro’s weeping member until there was nothing left. Warm liquid seeped from his abused entrance, and Seijuro’s now trembling arms secured Tetsuya’s spent body against him. He slowly retreated backwards until he lay upon the couch, Tetsuya’s head upon his shoulder. 

Tetsuya barely registered the change in position, tremors of the satisfying orgasm still rumbling through him as he surrendered completely to Seijuro’s tender embrace. Lips pressed against his temple while a breathless, awe-struck voice wafted past his ear. 

“Mine,” Seijuro whispered, possessively. 

_Truthfully,_ Tetsuya’s own mind added. 

But out loud, Tetsuya only pressed his pursed lips against Seijuro’s now warm chest and responded, “Yes.”

Later, he would be horrified by the dual scars upon his neck, just above his collarbone that would forever mark him as the lover of the leader of Teikou and Rakuzan. All who saw would know of his stature and perhaps fear him, perhaps loathe him or even envy him. And they would either cower away or target him for daring to love Seijuro. 

For now, however, Tetsuya simply basked in the warm glow of their recent coupling and the thundering heartbeat of his vampire lover against his cheek.

Seijuro’s lips brushed across the top of his head, and his warmth breath gently ruffled Tetsuya’s strands. “Are you scared?”

Tetsuya hummed for a moment and didn’t have the energy to move and meet Seijuro’s earnest gaze. “No. It won’t be just me fighting Shirogane and his forces, but my family—Teikou and Seirin and all our allied covens, clans, and packs. I have no reason to fear.”

When Seijuro remained silent, Tetsuya prompted, “Sei-san?”

Seijuro’s laugh was warm and indulgent as his cool fingers ghosted Tetsuya’s bare shoulder, drawing circles absentmindedly. “Yes, Tetsuya. Teikou has endured for more than a hundred years, and it will endure another. I will make sure of it.”

Tetsuya remembered Seijuro saying something similar to him, once, after Daiki had bitten him, and he asked again, “How?” 

Like before, Seijuro didn’t answer verbally but pulled Tetsuya closer to him, as if that was an answer in and of itself. 

*^*^*

_Seirin—Year Zero_

When Tetsuya awoke, there was a sucking, unbearable void in chest where the tether to Teikou’s bond once resided. The muscles physically ached with cold remorse, and he felt scared and abandoned, even though he was the one who had walked away. He trusted Kagami and Himuro, but he feared the freezing burn in his chest might never go away. Teikou had been his first family, his saviors, and his captors, too, and no one could take their place. 

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t love and didn’t love Kagami and Himuro, and he could only hope that perhaps he might even come to cherish Seirin and perhaps…

His wandering thoughts began to focus as his cheek nestled against a cool but soft—and rather large—pillow. When he shifted, it jiggled with his movements, much to his horror, and the strong but slender arms about his shoulders tensed. 

“Tetsuya?” a kind but hesitant voice called to him, contrasting the cold sensations upon his skin, and his eyes fluttered open to see nothing but a red shirt in front of his face, the woman’s amble bosom cushioning his head. No doubt, even Momoi would be intimidated by the size of this woman’s globes. 

“Would you please release me?” he mumbled against them, probably not as embarrassed as he should be. After all, Momoi had pressed herself against him multiple times, and it still had the same effect—cutting off his breathing and nothing more. 

The woman dropped her hands from his shoulders, allowing him to sit up, though her hands trailed down his arms until they finally released his wrists. She appeared perhaps in her early thirties with long, blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, shimmering jade eyes flecked with crimson, and a pathetic, frightened expression Tetsuya didn’t care for. She was definitely a vampire – Tetsuya saw her teeth – and then he noticed the curve of her face, the peak of her nose, the way her hair brushed across her forehead. 

Kagami and Himuro stood in the doorway of the small bedroom, Kagami leaning over Himuro’s head, to watch the exchange. They helped to confirm who now sat across from him. 

Tetsuya fidgeted with his wristband, a nervous habit he’d developed, perhaps because his face rejected his emotions. But now, he wasn’t even sure what or how to feel. When he was with the Dark Claws, he wondered where his mother was and why she had forsaken him. Those unsettling thoughts dwindled when he went to live with Teikou, and he stopped thinking of his mother altogether. Since he didn’t remember her—or his father—he never had any reason to miss her, but now—after she searched for him for fifteen years and raised two boys who made it their life mission to find him—his vision blurred with the onslaught of tears. He clutched the oversized T-shirt to his chest, unsure if the deep, echoing ache that settled there came from his loss of Teikou or from her. 

His hands shook, and the deep, cleansing inhale he drew failed to clear his throat. When he spoke, it came out of a desperate rasp, “Alex-san?”

Alexandra Garcia threw her arms around him, sobbing uncontrollably, and engulfed in her cool, reassuring presence, he closed his eyes and surrendered to her painfully tight embrace.

She mumbled incoherently for quite some time, but much of what she said wasn’t even in Japanese. (Perhaps in English? Midorima had taught him precious little of that) But he endured—or rather, cherished—being held by his mother, who was so much warmer than her cool skin made her feel. She was just as Himuro and Kagami had described in their stories, and he felt like he’d known her much longer than this. 

“Alex-san,” he whispered sometime later, once her sobbing had calmed down from obnoxious to just excessive. “Kagami-kun told me not to tell you, but he called you bat-shit crazy.”

She yanked him away from her cushioning chest. “WHAT!” 

Tetsuya could keep the mischievous grin from his face, but he couldn’t keep it from his eyes. “Twice.”

A strangled cough sounded from the direction of the entryway before the front door slammed shut, and then Alex tugged Tetsuya back into a smothering hug. “I’ll kill him later.”

Tetsuya laughed, genuinely laughed, and he couldn’t remember the last time he did that. 

Alex’s hug tightened, and she whispered against his cheek, “Welcome home, Tetsuya.”

Tetsuya sighed and relaxed against her. Yes, he certainly was. 

*^*^*^

_Touou—Year Zero_

Imayoshi and Wakamatsu blinked from behind the bar at the Moonlight Tavern, staring at the three vampires in front of them. Daiki stood in the middle of the pack, carrying a duffle bag, which held all the possessions he wanted from the tower while Momoi stood to his right and a step in front of him, carrying her own purse and bag. An obviously younger vampire stood behind Daiki, his body almost completely shielded behind Daiki’s larger and more muscular frame. 

“Who’s that behind you?” Wakamatsu snarled. 

Daiki glanced over his shoulder at the very pale Shige, who was dressed only his sweat pants and a too-large jacket. He glanced up at Daiki, eyes and hands trembling, and Daiki snatched him by the collar and tucked him against his side. 

“Kid’s with me. You got a problem with that?”

Imayoshi’s eyebrow arched with interest, and he smirked. “Not at all.”

_To Be Continued..._


	19. The Charmed Life

_Before Teikou_

Seijuro never stopped fighting even when Shirogane divided him from the others and cast him into the small but elegant room. The bed occupied most of it with smooth, high-threaded sheets and a wall of plush pillows, not for Seijuro but for the clients. He wore simple white draw-string pants and a light blue top without sleeves, and chained to the wall by a steel clasp on his wrist, he had no choice but wait for the next deviant to want a taste of power and pleasure. 

Seijuro’s mother came in daily, bringing him a meal and the gift of a kind, loving smile. And so he kept that fighting spirit, even when the vampires commanded him to be still, held him down and fed. He allowed his resiliency to burn in his eyes when Shirogane came to see him every so often and called him “my favorite little impure.”

After so many feedings—the most in the whole compound—Seijuro surmised his blood was not as clean as the others anymore, but it still offered an alluring taste that the cheapest vampires craved. Shirogane bent down, close to the huddling Seijuro who sat in the corner of the bed with his legs to his chest, and ruffled the teen’s hair. 

“It is almost time for your breeding, Seijuro. Are you excited?”

“To see your eyes gorged out before your head is torn from your body, yes,” Seijuro said with a malicious smile that never failed to brighten his face. 

Shirogane’s sinister smirk never wavered, though he held Seijuro’s gaze for longer than usual. Then, he ducked his head with his arrogant demeanor and sucked, desperately and viciously. A strangled cry, followed by desperate pants escaped Seijuro’s open mouth, and he would have tried to push Shirogane away if not for the chain restricting his wrist. 

Seijuro’s entire body burned up, his groin thickening and his blood pumping, fleeing through the duel wounds on his neck. He struggled against his own physical urges, the pleasure coming fast and relentless, tearing down even Seijuro’s strongest defensives. He loathed himself and he loathed his race when the euphoria overwhelmed him. After several minutes groaning and struggling, he finally succumbed to the torturous pleasure, collapsing against Shirogane’s taut body with fervent need. 

Shirogane’s grating laughter shattered Seijuro’s last shred of dignity. 

When Shirogane finished feeding, he shoved the depleted Seijuro against the wall. Pain immediately wracked Seijuro’s body and neck, the pleasure abandoning him instantly, and his shaky gaze rose to see the menacing and pitying gaze of his master. 

“Why do you fight it so, Seijuro? What could you possibly hope for? Freedom? Affection? Neither are due to your race.” He ducked his head one last time, his tongue swiping up Seijuro’s neck, cleaning him. 

“You’re wrong,” Seijuro finally managed. He wouldn’t let Shirogane leave without knowing this simple fact. “My mother loves me. And in our Charm, we care for one another. I may breed, but I will also mate. You may lay claim, Shirogane Eiji of the Dark Claws, but you will never truly own my kind.” 

“My apologies for the late notice and my sincerest condolences.” Yet Shirogane’s face looked anything but sympathetic with a devious grin and wild, condemning eyes. “One of our clients became too excited. He drank your mother dry before we could stop him, but don’t worry. I’ll make sure not to let him near you.” 

Seijuro felt nothing, said nothing, heard nothing. Shirogane’s voice drowned into white noise, but then Shirogane’s cold breath and vicious hiss abused Seijuro’s ear. “Freedom is not a luxury granted to your race, and the only affection you need is mine. The only _hope_ you should hold is that I won’t turn you into a vampire because if I did, not even the precious touch of death would be able to save you.”

The next time Seijuro met with a client, he bit the vampire and hoped the wound would be violent enough to kill him. 

*^*^*

_Now_

The opening of a door and hushed voice lured Seijuro from his slumber, and he half-expected to find the warmth at his side missing, Tetsuya having decided to run off with idealistic—and idiotic—notions of stopping Shirogane and ending the war by himself. 

Thankfully, Tetsuya wasn’t as stupid as perhaps some of the members of Teikou and instead, shifted at Seijuro’s side, not fully awakening. He moaned quite adorably and nestled against Seijuro’s cold body, lifting his head from the abused pillows and resting his cheek against Seijuro’s chest. 

He was scarcely dressed, only the cool sheets providing some cover, and his bare skin burned against Seijuro’s side like a brand. In too-short hours, maybe even minutes, Tetsuya would leave his side and take a shower or meet Taiga and Daiki for breakfast—as the two vampires currently moved about the kitchen, exchanging verbal jabs and quick embraces—but Seijuro just wanted to bask in the sheer delight of his young lover with disheveled hair, shimmering skin, and swollen lips. 

Seijuro’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the duel markings on Tetsuya’s once pristine neck. Caked blood decorated the twin holes and fed into one line that had dried a path halfway down Tetsuya’s neck. 

Perhaps in the future, he would chastise himself, but for now, he liked seeing the marks defiling Tetsuya’s skin. After all, they were more permanent than his scent, and any member of the supernatural races who saw him would know he belonged to a vampire and if they were smart, would avoid Tetsuya by any means possible. 

His tongue tingled with anticipation, and though he would never drink from Tetsuya without consent, he slowly lowered Tetsuya to the bed and licked a line up his lover’s throat, cleaning his skin of the vibrant reminder of last night’s coupling. 

The metallic twinge rolled over Seijuro’s tongue, teasing him with its delicious flavor and raw power, and he wanted to wake Tetsuya for another bout. But Tetsuya was already greeting him that silent but appreciative smile, his gentle hand coming up to rest upon Seijuro’s cheek. His eyes sparkled of limitless affection, causing even Seijuro’s cheeks to burn. Tetsuya lifted himself up, pressing a sweet kiss to Seijuro’s cool lips. 

“Good evening, Sei-san.”

Seijuro caged Tetsuya in his arms, thoroughly enjoying the warmth of Tetsuya’s body underneath his. “Good evening, Tetsuya. How are you feeling?”

A slight grimace crossed Tetsuya’s face, but it was fleeting and immediately replaced with that reserved smile again. “Slightly discomforted but pleasantly aware from where it comes from.”

Fueled still with Tetsuya’s blood, Seijuro had no problems becoming hard against Tetsuya’s thigh, their naked bodies entwined in quite the enjoyable position. For a few precious moments, he simply laid there, holding onto Tetsuya in a possessive grip. Tetsuya’s brilliant eyes glistened the unspoken question _what’s wrong_ , but Seijuro simply marveled at the wonder that was his lover’s genuine empathy. 

Shirogane had been wrong about many things, especially about the life of the Pure. Tetsuya deserved to be cherished and safeguarded and adored. Tetsuya was his mate, his partner. He’d claimed the boy all those years ago from Shirogane in the rundown ryokan in Asakusa, and where he once worried about the pained and bloodied child in his arms, Seijuro no longer had any doubts. When Tetsuya looked at him like _that,_ like nothing mattered in the world except Seijuro, the leader of Teikou surrendered. 

It was humbling. It was mesmerizing. It was addictive, especially when Tetsuya’s hand caressed his cheek and slid into his hair, massaging his sculpt in a very intimate and soothing manner. 

The words were there, on the tip of his tongue and so very much wanting to be said, but so many things had been taken from Seijuro. His mother. His charm. His mortality. His coven. If he spoke about his love for Tetsuya, would he be taken too?

But words were only repetitive. Tetsuya smiled, encouraging and kind, relaying the truth they both knew, so Seijuro ducked his head, a saucy smile dimpling his cheeks. He nestled his face against the soft skin between Tetsuya’s neck and shoulder and slowly began to lick the sweat from the mortal’s body with methodical but long swipes of his tongue. Tetsuya’s hips rose and pressed against his cool groin, every muscle going taut as he let out a lazy moan. 

Seijuro found a cool spot to rest his head, his scent accenting Tetsuya’s inconspicuous but very tempting vanilla aroma, and he sighed against his lover’s skin. 

The relative calm of Tetsuya’s bedroom was a sanctuary albeit calm-before-the-storm, and Seijuro relished those quiet moments—before Daiki swore and Taiga seemingly tossed something at him, chastising him for being so loud and missing the irony of his own booming voice. 

Tetsuya muttered against his skin, “Sei-san…what happens now?”

Seijuro tightened his hold upon his lover, face buried in Tetsuya’s neck. “We stay here until we can’t any longer.”

“…and then?”

“Then, we fight.” 

Tetsuya’s arms tightened about Seijuro’s, surrounding the vampire with all the warmth and affection he’d been craving for so long, and they became a barrier, protecting him against the dark world in which they lived. In Tetsuya’s arms, he didn’t need to worry about the upcoming battle or how Shirogane, with a simple command, could order him to slay his own coven. Instead, here, he delighted in the simple pleasure of Tetsuya’s soft skin and steady breathing.

“Yes, we will.”

There was something in Tetsuya’s voice, a heavy and tangible sorrow, and Seijuro selfishly kept his face buried in his lover’s neck. He wasn’t ready to abandon their fragile paradise just yet, but Tetsuya destroyed it with one tiny prick of dual fangs.

Seijuro’s back immediately arched as he tried to free himself from Tetsuya’s grasp, but Tetsuya’s fangs were sunk deep into his neck, refusing him reprieve. A sudden and searing heat flooded his veins, shuddering Seijuro’s body, and he instinctively knew what Tetsuya was doing. 

He wouldn’t be forced to obey Shirogane or kill his own coven—if he broke free completely from Shirogane’s vicious claws. 

If he was no longer a vampire. 

Tetsuya’s cold tears sent an intense shiver through Seijuro who grew feverish and weak. His trembling arms uncurled from Tetsuya’s slender body as his claws hovered at his lover’s back, ready to pierce the pale skin and stop Tetsuya stealing his death. But Tetsuya’s hands ducked under his arms and held his torso, and the vicious bite became a plaintive request.

 _Please. Let me save you._

Seijuro wanted to argue. He wasn’t worth Tetsuya risking his life, but those desperate lips softened upon his warming skin and forced his life essence into Seijuro. He couldn’t combat it with the fearful knowledge of the devastating toll Tetsuya’s body was about to pay. So his arms tightened about Tetsuya in a cradling embrace, startling tight as he waited for the unwelcomed sensations to pass. 

Every inhale stung his chest. A raw cry tore his throat as the sweat and tears mixed and plunged down his cheeks. His heart pounded in his chest, which expanded and contracted with a frantic rhythm, and all his vampire strength drained from his rigid muscles as his body became heavy and weak, exhausted in a way that came after waking from a long, hard sleep. 

And he was hot. _Very_ hot. His skin burned with the vibrant heat of fresh blood, and he glanced down at his puffy, albeit shaking hand. 

His body was creating his own blood. 

He was mortal again. 

He was Pure. 

Tetsuya fell backwards then, body depleting from using its own life force to fuel Seijuro’s, but his face was peaceful with half-lidded eyes and a blissful expression. Seijuro caught him before he landed on the thin mattress and laid him on the pillows, tending to him with great care. 

Tetsuya’s smile was so precious and disarmingly delicate that Seijuro thought it might crack, and then—then blood seeped from the corner of his lips, smearing his once pristine face. When Seijuro placed his hands upon the sheets, they were already polluted by a warm, sticky substance. 

Seijuro’s heart shattered when he saw Tetsuya’s hands were clasped over his stomach, trying to hold back the life force. Already, blood pooled from the claws wounds, and Seijuro cursed his own weakness. 

If he were still a vampire, he could have licked the wound closed. 

For now, he needed one, even if he loathed the thought of someone else putting their scent on Tetsuya. 

“Daiki! Taiga!”

Taiga threw open the door, eyes wide and frightened, before they narrowed in a look of fond exasperation that he could only be reserved for Tetsuya. 

“Oh, you little shit! What the fuck did you think you were doing?”

Seijuro stepped back as the vampires pounced, licking up the fresh blood and starting to close the wounds. Belatedly, he realized, Tetsuya wasn’t just saving him by making him Pure again. He was saving their entire coven. 

*^*^*

_Before Teikou_

“What’s his name?”

“Akashi Seijuro. He was a Pure who was turned into a vampire by Shirogane Eiji.”

“Then how did you manage to capture him?”

“I’m _that_ good.”

The vampire’s easy drawl was one of confidence, not arrogance, but Seijuro wasn’t worried. He had yet to meet a vampire who could go claw-for-claw with him, and though this particular one had gotten the jump on him, he would no doubt meet his end by the dawn’s first rays. Very few vampires were Pureblooded anymore, most sired or born from sired parents, and thus, not as strong as Seijuro himself. 

But then Seijuro tried to free his wrists, but instead of slicing through the bonds, his first claws broke. He let out an invulnerable shriek, his eyes shooting open at the throbbing pain in his hand, and in the darkened light of the room, Seijuro saw two men looming over him. The first was a vampire who looked barely older than himself, a dark-haired bloodsucker with a cool disposition but a reproachful glare. The second was a slayer, if the number of weapons on his person were any indication. He was older, too, which was something rarely seen in a human who tangled with the supernatural races. His face was jovial, not as disparaging as a vampire’s would be. 

“Hey, you,” the vampire greeted with little humor to his voice. “Welcome back to the land of the undead.”

Seijuro composed himself and bit back a hiss when he wrung his wrists. Silver cord bound them together, keeping him from getting free. That would not stop him from completing his mission, however. Nothing could stop a vampire who had been ordered by his sire.

“I will suck the blood from your veins and then tear your head free from your body,” he prophesized, though the vampire seemed less than impressed. 

“I doubt that’s your plan. Shirogane sends you out to do his feeding, huh, and then he feeds off of you. Isn’t that right?”

Seijuro should have been embarrassed—life as a blood servant was the lowest rung of the vampire hierarchy, akin to a whore in human society—but he long stopped caring about such titles and positions. Freedom was something of a foreign concept to Seijuro, who only knew the stature of a Pure and blood servant. 

Though he would never willingly allow Shirogane to drink from him, he couldn’t defy his master, no matter how much wished to do nothing more than drink the bastard dry and leave him in the open for the unforgiving sun to condemn. He would finish his last order—to drink until he couldn’t anymore—and then return to Shirogane’s den and allow his master to feed from his veins. 

Of course, he didn’t have to admit that to this vampire and slayer. 

“Even as a vampire, his Pure physiology still gives Shirogane a jolt, doesn’t it?” the slayers asked, eyes never deviating from Seijuro. “The Pure really are nothing but cattle.”

“But the Shiroganes are known to be the biggest collectors of Pure charms in Japan,” the vampire pointed out, arms crossed and face disgusted. “Why would Eiji subject himself to drinking blood through a Pureblooded vampire rather than straight from a Pure? No offense, kid.”

Seijuro made sure his face gave away none of the internal turmoil. Shirogane’s compound had been overrun by the werewolves, lured by the strong stench of power and blood—or so he had thought at the time. Later, he discovered the werewolves had hunted his kind and slaughtered whole Charms and any random Pure in order to hamper the vampires’ dominance. 

When the wolves came for his Charm, Seijuro had had been locked away, awaiting punishment for turning yet another vampire mortal. 

His entire Charm had been murdered in a single night. 

Shirogane began selling his blood then at a premium, and after having bit two vampires in less than a week, Seijuro found himself on the verge of death. In order to save what remained of his chattel, Shirogane had been forced to turn his last Pure into a vampire. 

The vampire’s knees bent, and he hovered just to Seijuro’s left, eyes dark and serious. “So here’s the deal, Akashi-kun. We’re going after your master. Now, either you can help us, or you can die for him. And I doubt you want the latter. So…what do you say?”

Seijuro wanted to answer, but Shirogane had commanded him not to answer anyone but him. His master took a sick sort of pleasure in reducing Seijuro to nothing more than his personal blood servant, sealing Seijuro’s own personality tight in his body. 

Instead of burning hatred for his master or paralyzing fear, Seijuro only felt an eerie but serene resignation. He had no will to die for Shirogane, but death would mean he’d see his Charm, his mother, again. And for that, Seijuro would embrace it and embrace it willing, especially if it brought death’s touch to his master’s den. 

But neither the vampire nor the slayer would have it. 

“Yeah, I thought that was the case,” the vampire muttered, bitter, as if he could hear Seijuro’s thoughts. “So here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to set you free, and you’re going to drink from me. Once   
you do that, you’re going to head back to your master, and Aida-san is going to follow you. Then, Shirogane’s going to feed on you and ask you if anything unusual happened during your trip.”

There was only one way this vampire knew this much about Shirogane Eiji—if he had been sired by him as well. 

“And you’re going to answer that Nijimura Shuuzo and the Teikou Coven are coming for him.”

*^*^*

_Now_

The hot life force that rushed through Seijuro’s veins was akin to fire, burning with an insatiable warmth, and as he stood upon the basketball court, dribbling a ball absentmindedly with his right hand, he clenched his left in a tight fist and then released it, just to see the fleeting red color brighten and then disperse in his palm. 

This streetball court held many things to Daiki and Tetsuya, and shrouded in the shadows of the darkest night—a new moon—he realized it had meaning for him, too. It was where he smelled Tetsuya’s scent and decided never to act upon his feeding urges. And he hadn’t until a few weeks ago when he bit into Tetsuya’s skin and drank, not only on blood but on the delicious pleasures of the body. When had he last done that? When had he allowed anyone to get that close to him? When had he wanted someone to get close to him?

Seijuro grew up separated from society, as a Pure and later as a vampire, but once Tetsuya entered Teikou, Seijuro no longer felt separated from his kin. Included and cherished, he led Teikou without regret. And with the strongest vampires, Teikou protected Tetsuya and readied themselves for the inevitable fight against the Dark Claws and Shirogane. 

On most nights, he could believe that lie, but on some days, he allowed himself to admit the truth. He who had been cast out wanted to give others a place to belong. And looking back, he believed he had succeeded. 

Which was why he stood upon this streetball court until he felt the cool electricity crackle upon his skin, signaling the approach of a vampire. Seijuro continued to stare straight ahead, even as he heard the soft but deliberate steps growing louder and more pronounced. A terrible, guttural laugh resurfaced so many horrible memories Seijuro longed to forget, but he refused to show any weakness. He would never show weakness to Shirogane Eiji again. 

The taller, more menacing vampire smiled a devious grin that maimed Seijuro in the ways no one could see. He came around Seijuro, wearing his usual black cloak with the hood lying upon the back, and it took all of Seijuro’s power not to flee or fight, especially when Shirogane began to speak. 

“You once swore to me that you would never sire a vampire, and you have. I cannot tell you how this pleases me.”

He’d never had any reason to condemn anyone to the supernatural horrors of vampirism, but Seijuro wouldn’t regret his decision. Though he loathed to think that Himuro Tatsuya was right—he was wrong to have put a mark on Taiga’s name—that simple act had led to him reclaiming Tetsuya and Teikou, and siring his own vampire kin, for which he would be eternally grateful. Kagami Taiga was a gift, with an awkward smile and a gentle composure, and his hair reminded Seijuro of his mother’s when it ruffled in the breeze. 

But Shirogane knew nothing of that—of compassion, of affection, of love. He only understood torture and cruelty and dominance. 

The vampire’s hand snaked out from underneath his dark sleeve and brushed against Seijuro’s cheek, eyes growing impossibly wide at the warmth he felt. “I felt our bond as sire and vampire sever, and I knew you couldn’t be dead. But this—to become a Pure once more? I never thought you’d regress to the lowly status of chattel again.”

“I am not and never have been yours.”

“You truly believe that, don’t you?” Shirogane spoke with such a condescending voice that it took all of Seijuro’s will power not to lash out. “You were born into my care, as Tetsuya came under the care of my father.”

“Your father stole Tetsuya.”

“Yes, because Alexandra would not have used him to her full advantage.”

“She is his mother.”

“Yes, and the child she now carries will hopefully be a female Pure, but I do not need to wait for her in order to grow my charm.” 

Seijuro knew that smile would haunt him during his worst nightmares. 

“Today, I will reclaim you, and together, we will find Tetsuya. Then, I will pair both of you with female vampires and start the breeding process. By next year, I will have regrown all Nijimura and Teikou tore down all those years ago.” 

“You cannot have them. I won’t let you.”

“ _Them?_ ” Shirogane echoed with blatant amusement before his ruffled Seijuro’s hair like a master would a treasured pet. “The thought had crossed my mind to impress your coven. They were the strongest in Tokyo at one time, and you selected them because they were so powerful. But you couldn’t have been so foolish to believe they would be strong enough to win in a battle against me?”

He leaned forward, a malevolent edge in his usually sinister voice. “Your second-in-command, Mibuchi Reo, received his punishment for killing my father, and though Kagami Taiga ended him, he still met a violent and agonizing death. The others will follow suit. You were foolish to believe you could raise a coven more powerful than the Dark Claws, and you were foolish to come here alone. I thought you were smarter than that, Seijuro.”

Now, Seijuro allowed his true emotions to show—a bright, shimmering grin. “Who said I came alone?”

A gleaming dagger tore through Shirogane’s chest, his freshly drunken blood splashing Seijuro’s face and clapping against the pavement. The sudden loss of life force brought Shirogane to his knees. Tetsuya—frightening fast and unconscionably ruthlessly Tetsuya—twisted the dagger in Shirogane’s chest before wrapping an arm about the vampire’s throat, lifting up his chin and keeping his eyes away from both him and Seijuro. 

“Where are my parents?” he demanded. 

Shirogane bit off a breathless hiss. “Hm. Perhaps I underestimated you. Was that your plan all along, Seijuro? To cover Tetsuya’s presence with your own?”

Seijuro missed his flesh-tearing claws, but he could wield a dagger well. He sunk his into Shirogane’s stomach and dragged it across the flesh, freeing it of the reserve blood. “He asked you a question.”

“Making demands of me? I remember a time when Pure wouldn’t even talk in their master’s presence, let alone attack them.” A sharp inhale with a bloody, menacing smile. “Let’s go back to—uk!”

Tetsuya’s lips thinned until they were duel white lines. “I will not ask you again.”

Shirogane’s breaths came quick and shallow, and he struggled to get out. “ _I also … brought … friends._ ” 

“Tetsuya!” Seijuro warned as sudden movement from the shadows caught Seijuro’s gaze.

Tetsuya reluctantly released but barely did so in time as vicious claws swiped in his direction. Seijuro leapt over Shirogane’s kneeling body, missing his supernatural strength, and combated the second swipe, just in time to stop the claws before they ripped Tetsuya’s neck free from his body. 

He quickly responded with a kick, while Tetsuya swiped his dagger, catching the vampire in the arm and forcing him to retreat a few steps. 

Tetsuya started, a gasp slipping free from this throat, and Seijuro followed his shocked gaze to the vampire standing before them. He was taller than them by less than a head with dark features and a stern expression. 

Seijuro’s dagger shook in his hand. “Nijimura-senpai?” 

_To Be Continued..._


	20. When All Else Fails...

_Now_

Nijimura’s hard expression told a story of anger and misery, and his dark eyes shone with an unusual apologetic gleam. It appeared foreign on such a strong-willed person, and never once in their hundred-plus years together did Seijuro remember Nijimura donning such an expression. 

But Nijimura had been in L.A., called away when a collapsing coven had requested help. Had that coven been attacked by the Dark Claws? Then even that far back, had Shirogane been plotting his revenge?

Seijuro cursed under his breath. He should have known that Shirogane would go after Nijimura first and been proactive, protecting all his coven members, especially the one that Shirogane had sired, too. But he’d become complacent, foolish. In the last century, he truly believed Shirogane had lost his hold upon the supernatural forces, and even more foolish, he believed if Eiji was still alive, he would have showed his hand during the first supernatural war when Reo ended his father’s life. 

Instead, Eiji must have been in America, sacrificing his father and Kouzou’s followers in order to strengthen his own coven. Unfortunately, it made so much sense in retrospect. Tetsuya originally came from L.A., and his presence alone should have signaled the rebirth of Shirogane’s power. He should have realized it before Nijimura left, and now he’d have to fight the very vampire who gave him freedom. 

Perhaps this was how Tetsuya felt fighting him all those months ago in that rundown apartment in Asakusa. 

“Even those who believe themselves out of my reach, find their way back to my side,” Shirogane’s ominous voice rang behind Seijuro and Tetsuya with terrible promise. “You may be mortal once more, but it will not save you—either of you.” 

“That is where you are mistaken, Eiji,” Seijuro scolded. “We are not two mortals against two vampires. We may be a charm of two, but we are also a coven of seven, allied with the most bloodied slayers and vampires in Japan.”

If Shirogane thought they’d come without Teikou, then he was surely mistaken. A sizzle of cold electricity crackled upon his skin, and next to him, Tetsuya shivered, too, as the dark figures began to materialize from the park’s various trees, from the abandoned alleys of the nearby streets, and from the shadows of the night itself. 

Teikou and its respective members and their allied covens of Rakuzan, Shutoku, Touou, and Yosen; the Seirin and Iwatobi Clans; and the Kirisaki Daichi Pack and its allies—Seijuro had called on every last member of the supernatural races he’d met for this final battle. Unlike last time, he wouldn’t assume the war to be over. He would end it by his own vicious hand. 

Shirogane laughed, a demoralizing bray that skirted across Seijuro’s shoulders, strumming his frayed nerves. 

“A futile cause, I assure you.” He stood then, forcing the Pure to move on instinct, so their shoulders touched back-to-back. Tetsuya watched Nijimura while Seijuro met Shirogane’s irritated gaze. 

Later, Seijuro would marvel how well they moved, able to communicate without words or gestures, but for now, he offered his full, penetrating glare to Shirogane.

“You are surrounded by the strongest covens, clans, and packs in all of Japan. You have two Pure who are willing to sacrifice every drop of their blood to stop you, and you believe you have the upper hand. I am not the foolish one, Shirogane.”

“Yes, because you will not slaughter my forces as you did my father’s. I learned from his failures.” The smugness of his features worried Seijuro, though he would not show any weakness to this man. Others would not do the same. 

“Rin-rin!” Nagisa’s stricken voice called over the group, and Tetsuya’s shoulders tensed as he glared over Nijimura’s shoulder at the advancing Dark Claws, led by the Samezuka Coven. 

Vampires tended to lash out when their emotions overflowed; Pure hid their fears and joy behind a mask. Humans released theirs, which Nagisa did as he called out to Rin again and again. Makoto tried to comfort him, holding him back as best he could. He, too, appeared worried, though, his face betrayed his fierce front. Haru’s cool demeanor seemed inflamed, his emotions running close to the surface as his silver blade wrung in his hand, and Rei muttered about how even with the sickly yellow eyes of the Dark Claws, the Samezuka Coven moved like graceful dancers. 

Shirogane lifted an arrogant hand, a haughty smile curling onto his ruthless features. “Come, Seijuro. Bare your neck to me and offer your sweet vein to my hungry fangs.”

Fear immediately pierced Seijuro’s gut, like he did all those weeks ago at the tower, when Shirogane forced him to say where Taiga was recovering—except this time, it was infinitely worse. He swore to himself when he broke away from Shirogane Eiji of the Dark Claws, he would never return to the stature of blood servant. He’d escaped the chains of his blood and joined a new family, a coven, and when Tetsuya made him mortal again, he believed himself free from the commands of his former sire. 

“Sei-san!” Tetsuya screamed as Seijuro slipped the crimson-coated blade into his holster and unzipped his coat to reveal his black T-shirt. 

He even allowed all of Teikou to bite him, hoping their commands would counteract Shirogane’s, but Shirogane’s haughty chuckle only twisted Seijuro’s entrails. His traitorous hands worked on its own, tugged down his collar to reveal the smooth curve of his bone and two tiny pricks. 

“I was the first to bite, Seijuro. Did you truly believe you could escape me by reclaiming your mortality?”

Tetsuya had; Seijuro had hoped. 

“You simply ran away, Seijuro,” Shirogane replied as he bent down, teeth poised to bite. “But you came home. All good boys do.”

Claws scraped Shirogane’s cheek and would have taken off his head if Shirogane hadn’t rolled with the motion. Daiki placed himself between Seijuro and Tetsuya, stolen blood dripping from his fingers. 

“You fucking bastard. You don’t dare fucking _think_ about touching Akashi—Tetsu!”

Tetsuya stepped in front of him, blocking the impeding attack from Nijimura with his steel dagger, and glanced over his shoulder as he battled a test of strength against the former coven head. He quickly began to lose, the dagger and claws lowering to threaten his pristine cheek. 

“Perhaps Daiki-san could stop staring and help.”

Before Daiki even blinked, Seijuro kneed Nijimura in the stomach, allowing Tetsuya to pivot a vicious kick, sending Nijimura soaring backwards.

“Thank you, Sei-san.” 

“You’re welcome, Tetsuya.” Seijuro’s hands shook as he clenched them into fists, trying to calm the wild beating of his heart. “Daiki, next time, react faster. You’re a vampire. I should not be able to beat you in a test of speed.”

“I don’t take orders from mortals.” Of course, Daiki said this with a teasing smile and an annoying—soothing—ruffle of Seijuro’s hair.

Tetsuya, the little shit he was, bowed at this. “Please take care of us, Daiki-san.”

Daiki did, of course, as chaos broke out. Daiki positioned himself before Seijuro and Tetsuya as the Dark Claws lunged, and Taiga came to his side, battling swipe for swipe like the partners they were. Hanamiya Makoto abandoned his place alongside the Kirisaki Daichi Pack, shedding his human figure to become a large, menacing werewolf who tore an arm off a lunging werewolf with his teeth. 

Seijuro glanced back at him, a gentle smile starting to form on his face. “Good boy.”

He stumbled two steps forward from Tetsuya’s kick. “He is not my dog, Sei-san.”

“You walked him,” Taiga interjected in between kicks and slashes; he’d acclimated with the claws well, Seijuro noticed with a hint of envy. “You had him on a leash for the first year. You fed him dog food! You taught him tricks!”

“Thank you for your support, Taiga,” Seijuro replied with a tiny smile. 

“Though I did not ask for Taiga-kun’s opinion.”

Daiki barked with a laugh. “Well, that’s what you get, Tetsu, when you teach Nigou to hide in Taiga’s bed and bark at him the moment he falls asleep.”

Tetsuya’s eyes narrowed in a distinctive pout. “Pillow talk, Taiga-kun? I thought you above it.”

“Oi!” 

Even Seijuro could practically feel the heat radiating between the two vampires behind them, despite their coldblooded nature, but before he could comment, a werewolf growled and sliced toward him. He buried his dagger in its chest with gritted teeth and a ruthless twist, before pulling it out and watching as the beast evaporated into dust. 

His eyes swept across the battlefield, searching for the cause of his plight, but instead of finding Shirogane, he saw Ryouta and Kasamatsu, fighting back to back while the remaining members of the Kaijo Coven battled about them. They cut down the weaker opponents and allowed the stronger ones through to deal with their ace and coven leader. One made an off-handed comment about how he hated to kill cute vampires, while a louder one yelled at the top of his lungs, though Seijurou couldn’t actually understand what he said. A taller vampire with spiky hair and quiet disposition laughed silently at them but watched over them, not unlike Seijuro at the moment. 

But Seijuro’s eyes shifted to another coven, Shutoku, who fought like the veteran kings they were of Tokyo. Though Teikou reigned as the most powerful coven in Tokyo, Shutoku had always been a steady presence before and after Teikou’s rule. Shintarou had chosen well, Seijuro acknowledged—both for his coven and his partner. Kazunari shouted orders like a trained strategist, leading Shutoku’s attacks, while Shintarou fought by his side, fear and pride mingling in a longing and worrisome expression. He covered it well with his fierce slashes, and he, like slayers, used daggers, stopping any vampires or werewolves who dared to attack before they came within maiming distance. Ostubo, the Miyaji Brothers, and Kimura offered solid protection and even used—pineapples?—as weapons in their attacks. 

Seijuro decided not to question. 

Yosen systematically took apart their enemies with their three taller vampires—Atsushi, Kenichi, and Wei—leading their offensive. Their smaller vampires—Taiga and Tetsuya’s brother and Kensuke—supported their attacks with strategic swipes and stabs, finishing off the vampires who refused to die. 

Of course, next to Yosen fought the werewolf packs, and Seijuro almost thought it was quite moving how Atsushi kept glancing over every few seconds to make sure that they hadn’t taken any casualties or needed help. Seijuro almost lamented making Atsushi part of Teikou, but the werewolves at that time had been vicious, rabid. They wouldn’t have welcomed a vampire into their pack—just like a mortal before Tetsuya wouldn’t have been welcomed in a coven. 

Touou worked in a haphazard but successful pattern, somehow relying on their individual skills to destroy their enemies but managing to watch each other’s backs. Momoi worked the fastest, taking apart her adversaries without ever losing that brilliant smile, while Imayoshi, that devious bastard, actually began biting some and drinking them dry. Sakurai was the most terrifying of them all, actually, bowing and apologizing as he stabbed each one of his attackers. Wakamatsu seemed content to simply growl and tear them to shreds. 

Despite taking point on protecting Tetsuya and him, Daiki made sure to glance over at his coven from time to time, watching them with concerned eyes, while both Taiga and Tetsuya did the same to Seirin, who battled like a fifth-generation slayer clan, despite their relatively short existence. Seijuro couldn’t deny his own heart veered toward Rakuzan, where Reo chose to fight and who welcomed him back like the lost sister he was. 

“You!” Shirogane snarled, and Seijuro’s head whipped around as Shirogane lunged toward the startled Reo. “You cheated death? Then I will give you the agony you deserve.”

Reo wouldn’t be able to counter Shirogane’s attack—not with the vampire’s superior strength—but Seijuro moved a second earlier than Shirogane, allowing him to parry Shirogane’s claws with his steel blade in his right hand. He quickly flicked his wrist, bringing a silver dagger in his left, and swiped, slicing off one set of Shirogane’s claws. 

“Akashi!” Shintarou yelled in a desperate warning. 

When Shirogane sneered and raised his opposite claws, Seijuro clashed against them with his dagger. “I won’t let you harm them.”

“Don’t worry, _Seijuro,_ ” he purred. “It is not me you need to fear.”

Haru’s scream rent the air, and Seijuro whirled out of impulse, watching as Matsuoka Rin of the Samezuka Coven finished clawing through the young slayer. His glowing yellow eyes reflected all the pitiful emotions he felt, but they couldn’t stop his claws from tearing through Makoto and then Rei. 

Though the coven and clans decided to kill those who had been impressed, it had been a difficult but ultimately necessary decision. If they killed Shirogane, then all the ones who were still impressed would be freed. If they couldn’t kill Shirogane, then they all suffer, either in slavery or death.

But Samezuka isn’t some random coven they only met in passing or complete strangers they can forget are actual people who have been forced to serve the same master Seijuro escaped. No, Samezuka’s den is close to Rakuzan. They’ve fought hundreds of times together over the last five years, and Reo-nee even scheduled a few dinners with Momo for the two covens. 

Still, despite how close they were, it paled in comparison to the closeness Samezuka shared with the Iwatobi Clan. There was no way either of them—or any of the allied clans—could strike down Rin and his coven. 

“Don’t turn from me, Seijuro,” Shirogane growled in a scathing admonishment, and as Seijuro pivoted, his eyes widened at the sharp claws threatening to tear into his shoulder. 

They stopped as a silver blade sliced through the claws, and then Shirogane flipped backwards, saving himself from Tetsuya’s swipe. 

“He is right, Sei-san,” Tetsuya chastised. “It is neither polite nor safe.”

“Hm, you are quite the annoyance,” Shirogane mused. “I look forward to the day I finally break you, Kuroko Tetsuya.”

“Then you will be waiting forever, Shirogane Eiji.”

“No, it is today.” 

Seijuro cursed himself as Shirogane’s eyes snapped his, and his master ordered, “Seijuro, be a good little blood servant and sic.”

*^*^*

_Before Teikou_

There was no war when the Teikou Coven came to destroy Shirogane’s domain, no blood or bitter words. Shirogane drank from Seijuro like every time the Blood Servant returned home from a feeding session, and then he asked for a report. Seijuro gave it to him. 

“I drank from Nijimura Shuuzo. He said the Teikou Coven is coming for you.”

“Hm.” Shirogane seemed amused, if anything. “How kind of him to announce his intentions. By any chance, he didn’t happen to tell you how he planned on attacking me, did he?”

Seijuro allowed the vindictive smile to perk upon his pale lips. “He told me to inform you that Pureblooded vampires are able to drink Fae and werewolf blood, and survive. Sired and breed vampires are not.”

“I see,” Shirogane said with a curt nod before snapping his eyes to Seijuro’s. “Return to your room, Seijuro. I will call you when I am in need of more blood.”

Seijuro did as he was told, and after he shut the door, he ran to the bathroom and proceeded to empty the very little blood still in his stomach. While Pureblooded vampires could drink from the Fae and werewolves, and survive, it didn’t mean Seijuro wasn’t nauseated or queasy from the taste. After washing his face and rinsing out his mouth, he reached inside his jacket pocket where he kept a blood packet of Aida’s blood and drank it down in a few quick gulps. 

Then, he stood up and left the compound. 

Shirogane had only told him to retreat to his room, so he’d done that. Usually after Shirogane fed, Seijuro was too weak to leave, but now he managed, working his way through the quiet streets of Tokyo, the majority of mortals asleep by this time at night. He petted a horse’s snout as he passed the trough and ducked inside the Moonlight Tavern. Vampires and slayers mingled in this supernatural hole-in-the-wall, and Seijuro followed Nijimura’s instructions, walking up the dark-haired bartender who eyed him with more than a little suspicion.

“I am here to see all the colors of the rainbow.”

The bartender wore dark glasses and a cruel smile as he spoke. “Biting the hand of your master, are we? And here I thought Touou was going to have put down the loyal pup of Shirogane Eiji.”

“I’m not a werewolf,” Seijuro replied, cold and impatient. 

“No, they’re much more docile than you.” Imayoshi pushed up his glasses and thumbed over his shoulder toward a doorway only covered by a dark sheet. 

The room beyond the curtain was cramped with Aida, Nijimura, an ash-colored vampire, and at least a dozen leaders from slayer clans. Shadows stretched across much of the room with only a few candles to shed their light, illuminating the table where most of the occupants nursed battle scars and drinks. 

Aida spoke first with an urgency to his voice. “Is it done?”

Seijuro nodded once. “Yes.”

Shirogane drank from him with a fervor he’d only done a few times in the past; after all, the taste of Fae blood was said to be quiet addictive. 

The slayer clans rushed out then in a fury of movement, tugging free their silver blades and readying for battle. Only Nijimura remained, sitting upon the edge of one of the lounge’s couches with a leg hitched up and an empty cup in his hand. He studied Seijuro with an interested skepticism, like he didn’t believe Seijuro had done what Nijimura had asked him to do. 

Following a pregnant pause, Nijimura let out a loud sigh. “Come on. Let’s see if we can watch the fireworks.”

Nijimura led him out of the room and into the frenzy of the tavern once more, yelling over the commotion of the werewolves and vampires having a fang-off. “Thank you for what you did. I know it’s difficult to leave your home—”

“It wasn’t my home.” 

It never was. Seijuro wondered if he even knew what a home was. 

“Then at least your family—”

“My family died years ago.”

The drinking room’s deafening sounds softened until they were nothing more than annoying garble as Nijimura and Seijuro began climbing the stairs to the roof. “Yes. Shirogane’s Charms. I had heard about the slaughter. My condolences.”

Seijuro didn’t answer. There was nothing to say. 

As Nijimura opened the door, Seijuro couldn’t quite breathe yet though a crushing weight lifted from his chest. The traditional compound on the outskirts of Tokyo burned brightly against the starry night sky, the oranges, reds, and yellows painting a beautiful palate onto the navy canvass, and Seijuro’s eyes stung with the onslaught of tears. He didn’t even pretend that it came from the smoke that billowed from what remained of the only place he’d ever lived. 

Could it be? Was the nightmare finally over? Seijuro was scared to hope, even as he watched the hungry flames consume the compound, causing them to crumble faster than a Fae flutter at dusk. 

“You’ll need somewhere to go, to belong,” Nijimura insisted. His voice sounded wondering, thoughtful, but Seijuro continued to stare at the burning building, unable to pull away to see Nijimura’s expression. A pale, marked wrist caught Seijuro’s attention, invading his eyesight just on the edge. 

“You must be thirsty. Drink.” 

Seijuro flinched and finally redirected his gaze from the burning buildings to Nijimura, who looked at him with a sickening expression that mixed pity with sympathy. 

“I am not offering as a proxy, Seijuro. I am offering as the leader of the Teikou Coven. Your courage is admirable, your resolve unquestioned, and your bonds up until now non-existent. After today, you will be no longer a Pure or a blood servant, but a free vampire, able to choose your own course. Join us, Akashi Seijuro of the Dark Claws. Join us and belong to a coven that will teach you how to rise above the level of servant. Become a warrior. Join us, so you’ll never be subjected again.

“Join us and live.”

*^*^*

_Now_

Cold flames licked Tetsuya’s chest with every shallow breath; spots flickered before his eyes, staining his sight. Beads of sweat dribbled down the side of his face, and Tetsuya gripped the side of his torso, fingers smearing with fresh blood. The pain remained at bay for the moment, but it resurge with debilitating resolve soon. 

But Tetsuya wouldn’t give up again. Not on Teikou and definitely not on Seijuro. 

Seijuro’s face looked so pained, so tormented, and his dagger shook with a fine tremor as he crouched before Tetsuya in a battle stance, ready to resume their fight. It stopped briefly as every vampire froze at the sudden assault of Tetsuya’s Pure scent, including Shirogane who had been watching from the sidelines when Seijuro made the first gash. It mesmerized the vampires, who liked their lips and bared their fangs, until Hanamiya growled and sunk his teeth into Sousuke’s forearm. 

The sudden movement jerked the vampires from their intoxicated daze, and Daiki muttered to Taiga, “It’s kinda like two babes mud-wrestling, isn’t it?”

Taiga’s nose wrinkled in annoyance. “Y’know we’re together, right?” 

“I was just looking. I wasn’t touching.”

“Why doesn’t that make me feel better?”

Tetsuya’s thumping heartbeat drowned out their prattle, and he flicked his wrist, bringing a new silver dagger into his palm. “Sei-san,” he whispered, still panting. “We will save Nijimura-senpai and you. I will not let Shirogane win.”

“I had heard of your unrelenting resolve, Kuroko Tetsuya of Seirin,” Shirogane tsked, his eyes dark and unamused, “but this is quite impressive. Perhaps I should steal it from you rather than having Seijuro beat it out of you.”

At the last spitted phrase, Shirogane lunged, and Tetsuya readied himself, whirling his dagger to meet Shirogane’s claws. He let out a surprised gasp as Seijuro attacked first, hooking his foot behind Tetsuya’s legs and knocking him to the ground. Shirogane soared helplessly overhead, and Seijuro struggled to spat as he lifted his dagger up to strike, “ _Run._ ”

Tetsuya countered with a quick jab to Seijuro’s ribs and a ruthless uppercut that sent Seijuro flying backwards. “Never. I’m going to save you, Sei-san.”

“It is futile,” Shirogane called from the side. “He is mine, and soon, you will be, too.”

But Tetsuya refused to believe that, and as he stood and wiped the blood from his cheek, Seijuro did the same. Then they lunged. 

The hand-to-hand battle was vicious and brutal, Tetsuya meeting Seijuro slice for slice. Their silver daggers clanged against one another, the vibrations ringing painfully through Tetsuya’s hand. He refused to relent. He battled against the searing pain that shot up his arm when Seijuro grabbed his wrist and twisted, breaking it in two. Tetsuya countered with a violent knee to Seijuro’s abdomen. When they parted, he simply switched his dagger from one hand to another and met Seijuro’s attack. 

He rolled with a sucker punch to the head and dragged his dagger along Seijuro’s arm, painting the pristine skin a vibrant crimson. As he came up to combat again, Seijuro grabbed the front of Tetsuya’s shirt and pulled him close for a fierce, soul-devouring kiss. The momentary shock and intense feeling Seijuro put into the embrace lowered Tetsuya’s guard. Seijuro loved him and didn’t want to fight him, and that was what the kiss said—or so Tetsuya thought until Seijuro jerked, his dagger coming to bear.

It was a sickening distraction, one meant to remind him of their love and deliver a crippling blow—except the dirtied dagger stopped just before Tetsuya’s waist, refusing to bury itself deep within his gut. Tetsuya’s breath caught in his throat, the front of his shirt still held tightly in Seijuro’s grip, as Seijuro’s hand shook just before Tetsuya’s stomach. Realization dawned, slow but persistent, as Tetsuya lowered his hand to Seijuro’s to stop the violent shudders. His second one dropped its own dagger to reach up to cup Seijuro’s face.

“It’s okay, Sei. I promise.”

“Impossible,” Shirogane wondered behind them in a spiteful voice. “You _mated?_ ” 

Before Tetsuya could respond, a sudden and acute agony pulsated deep within Teikou’s bond. It seized his chest and stole his air. He fought to remain standing, but both his lungs and his knees gave way, a second before Seijuro’s did. He gripped his shirt, struggling simply to gasp, as the pain shook the very core of his being. It was almost akin to when he severed his bond with Teikou. 

Nijimura—he had attacked Shintarou and then Ryouta, Tetsuya could feel their suffering in his soul. He couldn’t hear the screams of their partners through the pounding of his own blood in his ears, but tears stung his eyes as Atsushi lost to Nijimura’s cruel attacks. 

None of them dared to strike their former leader, their surrogate father, except Daiki, who fought him only to protect Taiga. 

Taiga, of course, decided to stop the cause of all this pain. “Bastard!” 

_“Taiga, no…”_ Seijuro struggled to say. _“Stay away. Run.”_

But Taiga—stupid, lovable, loyal Taiga—dove toward Shirogane, ready to swipe, when Shirogane locked eyes with the newly sired vampire. 

“Heel,” he uttered with amusement, and standing between Seijuro and Tetsuya, Taiga stopped, his fists trembling at his sides, body rigid. 

Despite their blood seal no longer connecting their souls, Tetsuya felt Taiga’s unaltered fear vibrating from every muscle of his body. Realization gripped him ruthlessly – Taiga was essentially Shirogane’s “grandson.” Even if Seijuro wasn’t a vampire, it didn’t mean _his_ vampire would be safe.

“I love it when they’re like this, practically werewolves,” Shirogane hissed, sauntering up to the newly-turned vampire. His cold, sadistic fingertips caressed Kagami’s jaw and trailed down his tanned neck. “Hm. I have heard much about you, Kagami Taiga, and I was impressed when I saw you kill Mibuchi Reo. So violent, so bloody. Let’s see that fire again, shall we? Sic.”

Tetsuya wished he could still feel Taiga’s warring emotions again, and Seijuro must have felt similarly, his shaking fists and trembling shoulders screaming volumes. They both wished to help the young vampire, but with tears coursing his cheeks and Shirogane’s terrible laughter assaulting their ears, Tetsuya could do nothing but fight to breathe as he heard Daiki’s distressed cry. 

“Taiga—stop! Taiga! What the fuck are you—ah!”

Daiki, despite all his strength, wouldn’t be able stop both Taiga and Nijimura, and Daiki would do anything to protect Taiga, Tetsuya knew, including not raising a claw to stop him. 

Tetsuya dipped his head and tried to get to his feet as Daiki’s desperate cries echoed louder than the chaos of battle. They were lamented and broken, as Daiki refused to give up but wouldn’t hurt his lover, and Tetsuya only tumbled back to the ground, the already crippling pain making him useless. 

The agony only exacerbated as Daiki lost, claws tearing through his back and front simultaneously. Teikou’s bond cried, flooding Tetsuya’s chest with an unbearable sorrow. Black boots stepped in front of Tetsuya’s face, but instead of reaching for him, Shirogane lifted the shuttering Seijuro, holding him almost intimately with an arm about the Pure’s waist. 

“You don’t know much about your kind, Tetsuya,” Shirogane purred, offering a lengthy lick across Seijuro’s shoulder, sending a fierce shiver through his captive’s body. “All supernatural races mate for life, but the Pure join with their partner in the most intimate way. They will do anything for their mate, which was why it was difficult for them to breed. I made that mistake earlier by forcing Charms to relate with others, and I see you and Seijuro have already mated. I can no longer simply break you. Instead, I must end you and free Seijuro from your hold upon him.”

Tetsuya ignored the irony of the situation as Shirogane freed one of Seijuro’s silver daggers and with a vicious grin, thrust it deep into Seijuro’s chest. Seijuro’s pain echoed through their bond as Shirogane sought to sever it, forcing Tetsuya to release a bloodcurdling shriek from the very depth of his soul. Daiki, Ryouta, Shinatrou, Atsushi, and Taiga—even Taiga, under Shirogane’s influence, let out a strangled cry to create a baleful melody of agony and defeat, but Seijuro fought to deafen the sound. He bit his own lip until it bled, even as the silver blade “purified” the vampire blood in his system, tearing him from the only family he’d ever known. 

Blood poured from the open cavity of Seijuro’s chest, draining him of fight and life, and Tetsuya’s hand wrung with its last shred of strength, reaching to hold the silver blade he would plunge into Shirogane’s heart. 

Nijimura and Samezuka Coven gathered about Shirogane like worshippers, bowing their heads before taking Seijuro’s now motionless and dazed body into their care. Once they laid him upon the group, they carefully licked clean the wounds and gulped the excess blood to increase their strength. Now, Seijuro would not die from his wounds, and with his bond with Teikou severed, he would not die from the coven’s end. 

Tetsuya’s pain increased immeasurably as the Teikou Coven shouldered the agony of its bond with one fewer member—and now with only one mortal. Tetsuya hardly had the strength to lift his head, his broken promise to Seijuro settling deep and uncomfortably in his gut. 

Shirogane turned to him, still that malevolent glimmer in his eyes, and he bent down low, so only Tetsuya could hear his whisper. “I lied to Seijuro all those years ago. Werewolves didn’t destroy his Charm. I slaughtered them.”

Tetsuya’s straining body flushed numb; his heart ached for entirely different reason. 

“I had to. His mother figured out how the Pure mate and what that bond creates—rebellion. They are allowed to defy their vampire master if their actions will harm their mate in any way. If that information ever spread, it would have ended our reign upon the Pure.”

Tetsuya struggled to breathe, the unwelcome tang of blood seeping across his tongue. 

“Of course, the werewolves and Fae finished most of them quickly thereafter, and there were no more Pure to procreate the species. I guess I should thank you for ‘purifying’ Seijuro. It allows me to get rid of you and still breed the Pure—after I finish off all the signers of the Winter Pact. I can’t have Seijuro holding any hope that he can escape me a second time.”

No! Tetsuya refused to leave Seijuro, his _mate_ , in the hands of such a vile creature, and after this, after they survived and ended the war for good, he would mark Seijuro on a visceral level, where his mate would never be without his scent to protect him. For now, Tetsuya gritted his teeth and grunted to get to his knees. He couldn’t stand, but he would battle Shirogane until his last breath, however soon that would be.

“Oh, you want to die, don’t you?” Shirogane gleamed. 

No, but Tetsuya’s injuries were more emotional than physical. Teikou itself was crumbling, their bond splintering with each passing moment, and it wasn’t just Tetsuya who would die. He would be the first as a mortal, as the most vulnerable, but all of Teikou was slowly being dragged into the abyss of death—leaving Seijuro alone to live a torturous life under Shirogane’s ruthless claw. 

Tetsuya could survive. Each one of them could by making one simple choice, and Seijuro voiced it with crimson dribbled down his chin and a gutted voice hardly rising above a whisper.

“ _Cut it, Tetsuya. Sever your bond again._ ”

Tetsuya cut it once, but as he immense pain thrumming his very soul, it was nothing compared to the absolute agony he endured when he severed his bond with Teikou five years ago. And yet, he knew somehow even if he sliced his bond, he wouldn’t survive this time. Teikou wasn’t his coven; they were his life, just like Seirin and Daiki and Ogiwara. And Sei.

His coven. His brothers. His mate. 

He would never let them any of them go again. 

Tetsuya’s heavy eyelids lifted, those sky blue wonders never losing their color and determination, and he mouthed one word with his remaining strength, “No.”

Shirogane lifted up Tetsuya’s chin again. “I've impressed entire packs of werewolves and covens of vampires, and I even sent my dogs to gnaw off the wings of the Fae. I slaughtered more Charms than you can imagine. You think one mere _blood servant_ can defy me? Allow me to demonstrate just how little power you possess, child.”

_To Be Continued..._


	21. Blood into Stone

_Earlier_

“Daiki, come on!”

“No,” Daiki admonished, his voice unwavering in its conviction. “Don’t make me sic Satsuki on you, Shige, ‘cause you know I will.”

Shige threw out his hands in a solemn plea. “But Daiki, I want to fight alongside you and Touou and Tetsu!” 

“Don’t be stupid, kid,” Taiga interjected, coming up to Daiki’s side and ruffling Shige’s hair. “You’re not bonded with Touou or any vampires, and you’re still new at this.”

“Not any more than you. We’re the same age.”

“Technically, I’m older.”

“By eight days.”

“He’s got a point, Taiga.”

“Hey, shut up, Aho! I’m backing you up here!”

Tetsuya watched from afar with a tiny smile skirting the edge of his lips, but he couldn’t help indulging in the reassuring sight. After all these years, his entire coven – plus Taiga, Shige, and Makoto – stood in the same room, meeting one last time before they grouped with Seirin and the coven leaders to finish strategizing their plan against Shirogane. Save Tatsuya and his parents, those closest to his heart stood before him, ready to go to battle again for him, so he couldn’t ignore the terrible ache in his chest. 

“Are you alright, Tetsuya?” Seijuro asked, one hand sliding down his wrist to fold their fingers together while the other ruffled the hair under Nigou’s chin. 

“Yes,” Tetsuya admitted, his smile only faltering for a moment. “Perhaps for the first time in five years.” 

Squeezing Seijuro’s hand for strength, Tetsuya let out a resigned sigh and walked to the center of the room. As if every member of Teikou sensed his uneasiness, they slowly broke from their own conversations – Daiki arguing with Taiga and Ogiwara, Ryouta annoying Shintarou over his bangs and glasses, Atsushi trying to open another bag of chips—and gathered in the middle of Seriin’s living room. 

It was never easy to admit when one was wrong, but Tetsuya felt it necessary, now, on the eve of their hardest battle. If this was to be their final meeting as a coven, then he wanted all of them to understand exactly how he felt. 

Though his voice remained its usual soft tone, no one questioned the strength of his message or the veracity of it. “I—I’m truly sorry for the pain I caused all of you. There are many things I regret from my time in Teikou, but never once was it severing my bond with the coven.” He saw Shintarou’s eyes darken, Ryouta’s kind expression sour, and Daiki’s encouraging smile fall, but he continued nonetheless. “I thought what I did was right and helped to save our coven, so even though we were apart, I thought I had succeeded in my mission. I was wrong. A coven that survives is one that stays together, not one that breaks apart to find peace of mind.”

“Tetsu, come on. We were dicks,” Daiki spat, arms crossed and body tense. “So it kinda makes sense—what you did.”

“Kurokocchi!” Ryouta jumped forward, arms ensnarling Tetsuya in a strangling embrace. “It must have been scary to sever your bond! And painful. Did Kagamicchi help you?”

“Kagamicchi?” Taiga muttered, to which Daiki slapped on the back. “Just go with it, man. It’ll take more energy to _try_ and make him stop.”

Shintarou breathed deeply and pushed up his glasses. “You were foolish to do such a thing. Perhaps we did not handle the situation as best as we could have, but we are a coven. Our bonds should be unbreakable.”

Like a family’s. 

Blood is thicker, or so the saying goes, but the bonds of a coven marked the soul. 

A gentle, apologetic smile swept through Kuroko’s features before he dropped to the ground, one knee after the other, and placed his palms upwards toward the sky. A collective gasp sounded from the coven.

“I am sorry, Akashi Seijuro of Teikou, Midorima Shintarou of Teikou, Kise Ryouta of Teikou, Murasakibara Atsushi of Teikou, and Aomine Daiki of Teikou. Will you please forgive me for all the harm I caused you and accept me once more as a member of the celebrated Teikou Coven?”

The silence that followed echoed in Tetsuya’s soul, and surprisingly, it was Atsushi who spoke first, “Eh? So bothersome, Kuro-chin. You are alive. Nothing else matters.”

“Yes,” Seijuro added, falling to his knees besides Tetsuya and lifting his chin. His smile was warm and reassuring. “Nothing else matters.”

“Except chocolate-covered bacon bits,” Makoto added. 

The entire coven turned to glare at the now shifted Makoto, who narrowed his eyes in annoyance. “What? They are _that_ good.”

*^*^*

_Now_

Daiki ordered Shige not to fight, which meant he could do anything but. He followed Touou when they went to engage and watched silently, despite the gut-wrenching desire to join the battle. Tetsu and Seijuro held their own at first, but then Nijimura Shuuzo began his siege. Shige remembered the former leader of the Teikou Coven from before the war, and though Tetsu and Shuuzo weren’t close—not like with the other members of Teikou—Tetsu looked up and spoke highly of him, like Shige spoke of Imayoshi. 

So why was Shuuzo attacking Sei and Tetsu? And why was Sei suddenly going after Tetsu? 

_Ohshitohshitohshit!_ Shuuzo went after Ryouta and Shinatrou, too. What the hell? Oh, no. He lunged at Daiki, too, but Daiki saw him coming and was ready. His sire still held back in the fight, Shige noticed, but he didn’t fall like the others. He tried to reason with Shuuzo, bring him back to himself, but then Shirogane—that bastard! What did he do to Taiga to make him attack Daiki?

Shuuzo and Taiga worked in tandem, and when Daiki went to block Taiga—he wouldn’t hurt him—Shuuzo slashed down Daiki back. Taiga followed, slicing across Daiki’s stomach. 

The unequaled power of Teikou Coven dissolved then, crippling Tetsuya and Seijuro completely. Shige had seen the bonds of a coven and its awesome power firsthand, but he hadn’t seen the negative effects since that day he was turned into the vampire, when Tetsuya collapsed from the pain he endured for his coven. 

_Their_ coven. Daiki’s and Tetsu’s. Though Daiki and Shige were part of Touou, they weren’t members of the coven. Daiki refused to let Shige bond with Touou for some reason, and Daiki, himself, refrained. Satsuki had done so after a year or two, but Shige understood that. Satsuki loved Imayoshi, and Shige loved Daiki. 

Shige gave up his mortality, his life, everything for Daiki, just to watch him die at the hands of Taiga, his own partner? No. Just like Daiki wouldn’t let him go, Shige refused to let Daiki go—or Tetsu. He’d lost Tetsu once, and he wouldn’t again. And that vampire—that bastard Shirogane—had Sei in his arm like a ragdoll, so limp and lifeless, and Tetsu collapsed, becoming all but comatose. He wouldn’t last that much longer. The Teikou Coven, itself, wouldn’t last. 

Shige’s fists tightened; his claws dug into his palms until blood seeped down the heel. He couldn’t fight, but there had to be something he could do, something to give Teikou and Daiki and Tetsu the strength they needed to win. 

Strength. Shige would give Daiki his strength. 

He burst from his hiding place among the trees surrounding the court, jumped over the chain-link fence that surrounded the basketball court, and ducked a swipe from one of the Samezuka vampires. Kneeling by Daiki’s side, he grimaced at the sight of the deep, crimson gashes, too deep to regenerate on their own. 

Daiki needed to feed, and he would. Shige would get one of the slayers to offer their blood, but Daiki needed more than just substance. He needed something stronger than lifeforce. He needed a soul.

Daiki reached out a shaky hand to him, garbled voice unable to speak louder than a whisper, and eyes so very frightened. He feared losing Shige to the battle; he mouthed for Shige to go back, run, but Shige did the opposite. He sunk his teeth into Daiki’s wrist and drank what was left of his blood. 

He swallowed and swallowed and swallowed until a deep, throbbing agony crushed his chest and stole his breath. Then he toppled backwards, clutching the front of his shirt as he struggled to simply inhale. 

His eyes fluttered, and his pants were haphazard and shallow. His world upended, and in his very soul, he felt pain – unaltered, searing pain – but also warm and scared beings with whom he now shared a connection. 

A bond. He was now a member of the Teikou Coven. 

Daiki grunted, fierce eyes narrowed in a condemning glare as he heaved himself into a sitting position. And he growled. “You are so grounded when we get home.”

*^*^*

Kasamatsu loathed his own shortcomings. He was a good fighter, better than most, but he was nothing compared to Teikou and its coven members, including Nijimura Shuuzo. The renowned former leader of Teikou had been revered as one of the best fighters in Tokyo before he left for the states, and he proved his superiority by taking down Ryouta with only a few quick slashes. 

Ryouta hadn’t been a part of Teikou when Nijimura had been the leader, but there was a connection there that ran deeper than just camaraderie. They were family, even if they were cousins twice removed—or perhaps, more accurately, Nijimura was that much-older brother who moved out of the house before Ryouta was ever born. In any case, Ryouta was powerless against his coven’s former leader, and Kasamatsu was pissed—and frightened. 

Ryouta had been the first one Nijimura went after—not including Seijuro and Tetsuya—and the blow to Teikou’s bond had been devastating. Shortly after Ryouta fell, Shintarou followed, then Atsushi, and finally Daiki, the coven’s ace, who had been taken down by his own partner, too. 

Partner. Lover. Annoyance. 

There were so many words to describe Kise Ryouta to Kasamatsu Yukio, but “indispensable” was probably the best. 

He was half-Fae, which made him adorable with sparkles on his cheeks and an irresistible smile, and though Kasamatsu kicked Ryouta every time he flashed it, Kasamatsu was blushing on the inside. And he believed Ryouta knew that, too. 

Which why he didn’t hesitate when he saw Ogiwara Shigehiro, Daiki’s sired vampire, bend down to protect his master. Kasamatsu forwent Ryouta’s wishes not to bond and dug his own sharp fangs into Ryouta’s neck. 

Like the times when they were intimate, Ryouta didn’t shy away. He didn’t even flinch. Instead, he rested a hand upon Kasamatsu’s cheek, encouraging the feeding, and then Kasamatsu felt him smile. 

*^*^*

“Shin-chan!” Kazunari screamed like his own heart had been torn from his chest. 

He watched helplessly as Shintarou slammed hard against the harsh asphalt, blood oozing from deep slashes across his chest and stomach. Even a few shallow ones cut across his face and left his glasses askew. 

Kazunari held no reservations about his sire and partner. Shintarou was a bastard but only because he kept his emotions so close to his heart. Perhaps that came from not knowing his sire. Perhaps it came from his past life as a human before he was turned, but that day Riko paired him with Shintarou changed Kazunari’s life immeasurably. They worked well together, better than any slayer/vampire partnership, and when they ended up surrounded by a pack of malicious vampires during one of the Seirin-Shutoku’s joint battles, Shintarou had asked, “Do you trust me, Takao?”

The answer came effortlessly. “Really, Shin-chan? You’re asking me that _now?_ Have you been paying attention the past year or just standing there and looking pretty?”

Shintarou hesitated, and though they sat back-to-back, Kazunari could imagine Shintarou pushing up his glasses, a nervous gesture. “Then will you trust me with the rest of your life?”

“Are you proposing?” Kazunari laughed at Shintarou’s flinch and red-tipped ears. “Because if you are, I want a ring, and you’ll have to ask my clan head for permission, too. And getting down one knee is not overrated – ”

“Takao!”

“Fine, fine,” Kazunari cackled. “Yes.” 

“Then this will have to do.” Shintarou dragged Kazunari into his lap, and tiny, twin pricks in Kazunari’s neck attacked with acute retribution. Shintarou’s fangs stayed there, piercing the thin layer of resistance, hesitating, as the hot breath spread across Kazunari’s neck and slicked the malleable flesh. 

A sharp hiss escaped Kazunari’s pressed lips. That was all it took for Shintarou’s teeth to sink completely into the vulnerable flesh, chasing away the lingering pain and ushering in the intense pleasure. 

Now, almost three years later, Kazunari wouldn’t hesitate like Shintarou had. When Shintarou’s eyes met his with a silent apology—for failing to protect him, for leaving first—Kazunari fell to his knees and buried his fangs in the thick vein of Shintarou’s pale neck.

The blood rushed, heavy and rich, into Kazunari’s mouth, and he swallowed gulp after gulp. Instead of pleasure this time, pain wracked his very core, but he forced himself to continue drinking as Shintarou’s grip on Kazunari’s knee grew stronger. 

*^*^*

The pain coursed through Tatsuya’s veins, and blood dribbled down his chin as he drunk with a fervor that left him lightheaded and dizzy. But he continued undeterred, remembering the first time Atsushi bit into his collar, just below the bone. Atsushi cradled his body then, arms wrapped around Tatsuya’s waist as he lifted him up to angle Tatsuya for better access to his vein. And he sucked in deliriously slow but savoring gulp that left Tatsuya panting and hard.

Atsushi originally denied him eternity. Tatsuya begged, tears streaking his cheeks red as the vicious vampires and werewolves closed him, too many for them to combat themselves. But Atsushi eventually relented, giving Tatsuya the strength to combat his brothers’ attackers and save their lives, and ever since then, Tatsuya hadn’t been able to deny Atsushi anything—sweets, ultimate wrestling matches, himself.

Even before Tatsuya became a vampire, he and Atsushi had been together, and Atsushi always, _always,_ asked—or his equivalent of it—before they delved into the heat of their lust. But Atsushi’s hesitation bothered Tatsuya. Why hadn’t Atsushi wanted to turn him into a vampire? Was he just a mortal “snack” between supernatural “meals” for the Teikou vampire? Was Atsushi now stuck with Tatsuya as a constant main course that he would eventually get tired of eating?

Every time Tatsuya worried over such a development, Atsushi devoured him with a fervor he showed little else until all Tatsuya’s fears dissolved. Atsushi had wanted to spare him of a life without death, without the ones he loved, but Tatsuya had the ones he loved, which was all that mattered. He had Atsushi, and he wouldn’t let him go. 

So he swallowed mouthful after mouthful of his lover’s blood while Atsushi’s massive hand buried in Tatsuya’s hair, holding him close and safe, even in the middle of the brutal battle. 

“Muro-chin,” Atsushi eventually muttered, ruffling through the back of Tatsuya’s hair, “you need to stop or I’ll want to unwrap you right here.”

Tatsuya pulled away then, the pain dull but steady, like it had stabilized for the time being, and he wiped his crimson-covered mouth with the back of his hand. “Sorry, Atsushi.”

“Eh, it’s all right, Muro-chin. I have to crush some Dark Claws first, then we’ll discuss what kind of snack you can be this week.”

“I’m not being sundae again,” Tatsuya laughed. “It’s too messy.”

Atsushi pouted before his massive hand clasped about Tatsuya’s wrist and tugged, saving Tatsuya from a Dark Claws’ swipe. 

Atsushi snarled then, and Tatsuya resigned to his fate with a reserved smile. That was, of course, if they survived this battle.

*^*^*

Reo folded back into the mix of Rakuzan easier than he thought he could. Though he wasn’t bonded with the coven anymore, they accepted him back easily, welcoming him into their ranks with smothering embraces and growling threats to never leave again. They understood why he needed to hide – to save himself from Shirogane and to keep Tetsuya’s identity and power a secret – but his coven still chastised and cried, even Nebuya who perhaps sobbed the loudest. 

When the leaders of the clans and covens explained the strategy, Reo immediately joined Rakuzan’s ranks for the battle, and no one voiced a complaint. It was almost as if everyone knew Reo’s life belonged to Rakuzan, and nothing, not even mortality, could change that. 

But his mortality had been a gift. At the time, he’d feared it. Death always seemed like a foreign object, something to acknowledge happened but a surreal aspect of life. Sure, vampires could die, but Rakuzan was strong, powerful. No one dared to challenge the coven, and after the first supernatural war, no one wanted to fight. But now – now he felt vulnerable and weak against the Dark Claws, his silver blades helpful but not indestructible. And his coven needed to protect him whereas before, he fought to protect them as their second-in-command. 

He missed the strength that came with being a vampire. He missed the heightened senses and taut muscles, but being human, despite all its flaws, would save Teikou today. 

As soon as Shige released Daiki, Reo dropped to the vampire’s side and jerked his chin high. “Drink. Sei-chan needs you.”

*^*^*

Tetsuya inhaled sharply, his first true breath in what seemed like an eternity. The tightness around his chest eased just a fraction, but it was enough to let him breathe without fighting against an invisible choke-hold. The pain that once ruled his thoughts lessened and stabilized until he could comprehend his surroundings—and the new but familiar sensations that echoed deep within his soul. 

A uncertain presence touched against Tetsuya’s conscious, and though it was scared, it was also resolute and bright, warm like Taiga’s soul, and Tetsuya’s eyes widened considerably. He followed his shocked gaze to where Daiki laid on the ground, Shige hovering over him. Crimson smeared Shige’s lips and colored his fangs, while Daiki currently buried his own set into the pale column of Reo’s neck. 

Tetsuya’s body regained even more strength as his eyes jumped to Ryouta and Kasamatsu, but instead of drinking from Ryouta’s wrist, Kasamatsu dug his fangs directly into Ryouta’s neck, much to Ryouta’s delight, if the bloodied hand cradling Kasamatsu’s head was any indication. A worried but mischievous presence entered their bond—Kazunari, who drank slowly but thoroughly from Shintarou. Calm, determined, and relieved, Tatsuya, his older brother, sought him through the bond and willed him to stand. 

Taiga immediately latched onto Tatsuya’s presence for reassurance, probably because he lost the connection with Seijuro and he still couldn’t break free from Shirogane’s influence.

A resounding snarl shocked Tetsuya, and he jerked his head up to see Shirogane’s claws swiping toward him. Before he could combat or even raise a hand to defend himself, a large, black mouth clamped down upon the vampire’s wrist and leaked crimson from its jowls. 

Nigou. Hanamiya Makoto in his werewolf form. 

Shirogane hissed and grimaced, first kicking and then elbowing Nigou’s head before rushing forward with his claws. 

That was when Tetsuya shot to his feet and delivered a resounding kick to Shirogane’s middle before pivoting and landing another. Nigou released Shirogane’s wrist at the last moment, allowing the vampire to soar backwards into the court’s chain-link fence.

Tetsuya petted his crouching werewolf’s head. “Good boy.”

Shirogane pushed himself off the fence, cleaning his bleeding lip with an elegant dab of his fingers. “Bonded or not, you are still nothing but a Pure, and you are no physical match for a vampire!”

He lunged forward then, claws glimmering in the moonlight, but Shirogane was just a distraction, Tetsuya realized at the very last moment. Nijimura and the Samezuka Coven also dove for him, ready to slice his entrails free from his body. 

Tetsuya barely let out a surprised gasp before Daiki and Ogiwara intercepted Rin, battling him claw for claw. 

“Stay away from my kids,” Daiki warned again, drawing a grateful and genuine smile on Tetsuya’s lips. 

“Stay away from our coven,” Ryouta amended, stepping in between Tetsuya and the snarling Sousuke with Kasamatsu at his side. 

Atsushi whined as he batted away a fruitless attack from the overzealous Momo, a hand upon the shorter vampire’s hair to keep him away. “Why don’t they just give up, Mido-chin?” 

“Their master won’t let their resolve falter,” Shintarou argued, battling Mikoshiba Seijuro to a stand-still, though Kazunari tipped the fight in their favor. “Perhaps you can release them from their chains, Kuroko.” 

Tetsuya’s eyes narrowed as he ducked under Shirogane’s swipe and then slashed, freeing fresh crimson from Shirogane’s arm. “I will do my best, Shin-san.”

There was no talk then, no more reassurances, as Tetsuya, along with Nigou, went slash for slash with Shirogane, kicking the gut and aiming for his torso. Crimson stained his shirt as Shirogane landed a few attacks, one across Tetsuya’s chest as he spun out of the way, another along his hip when he rolled. A well-placed slice to Nigou’s snout left him bleeding with a sharp shriek. Tetsuya gritted his teeth, letting out a snarl that sounded like it came from a vampire, and attacked with a new fervor. 

He slashed with dual silver blades and then crossed them to stop Shirogane’s claws. The vampire’s nails began to smoke and fester against the sacred metal, and Tetsuya pushed back, ready to deliver the final blow when a shadow fell over him from behind. Taiga lunged, face contorted with a desperate expression of affection and remorse, and Tetsuya smiled a strained but sweet grin. 

They were two halves of the same soul, and perhaps if anyone were to finish him, it would be Taiga. 

Taiga lifted a shaky, hesitant claw and then wiped, slicing Tetsuya’s wrist and forcing him to drop his daggers. Shirogane pounced, hands coming up to seize Tetsuya’s face and bare his neck, but the vampire master let out a terrible, animalistic howl. Seijuro knelt on the ground beside him, Tetsuya’s earlier steel knife buried in his side. 

Without his silver daggers, Tetsuya finished Shirogane the only way he knew how—he bit the vampire’s neck and pushed his blood into the withering vein. 

Heat immediately rushed from the pit of Tetsuya’s gut, up his throat, and through his lips and fangs, feeding lifeforce to Shirogane. The vampire screamed and shouted, thrashing to get Tetsuya, but Daiki came to his aid, digging his claws into Shirogane’s wrist and keeping his left hand from reaching Tetsuya. Ryouta came to restrain Shirogane’s right arm, and the bones snapped with cringe-worthy reverberation.

“Stop,” Shirogane gasped, weak and pleading. Tetsuya only bit down harder, gnashing his teeth in the pale and tough flesh, and wondered how many of Shirogane’s victims—if Seijuro—ever asked for mercy. He would not grant any, not this time.

Shirogane snarled. “Kagami—! Nijimura—!”

But Atsushi and Shintarou held back Taiga while the new members of Teikou – Kazunari, Tatsuya, Shige, and Kasamatsu – fought Shuuzo. 

Ryouta and Daiki lowered the rapidly weakening Shirogane to the ground, and a sharp, searing pain pierced Tetsuya’s side as he absorbed Shirogane’s “death.” Still, he refused to relent until the heat of Shirogane’s skin returned and his blood began to flow freely from his wounds. Only then did Tetsuya raise his head and smile a bloodied grin at the now drained but relieved Taiga. The Samezuka Coven and the remaining impressed Dark Claws collapsed in various states of exhaustion, panting and bloodied while the allied covens finished the rest of the rogue covens. 

Toppling off Shirogane, Tetsuya gripped his side, gagging on the bitter flavor of blood in his mouth, but then warm, familiar lips pressed against his own, gentle and savoring, appreciative. Seijuro cradled his cheek and pressed a hand to his wound, all the while not breaking the intimate embrace. His muscles melting and Tetsuya relaxed in Seijuro’s hold, comforted by the soothing presence of his mate. 

After only a few brief moments, Seijuro’s warm lips pulled him away, and he whispered, “I will kill him for ever laying a hand upon you.”

“No,” Tetsuya wheezed, voice strained. “That is not the punishment he deserves.”

Yet Tetsuya’s hands trembled; his body flushed cold. 

Panic seized Seijuro’s voice. “Tetsuya!” 

Tetsuya wanted to soothe Seijuro’s fear, but instead, he focused on the unique color of Seijuro’s eyes, the intense crimson flecked with the moon’s silver glint. They were beautiful, so much so that Tetsuya wanted to see them in the sun’s kind touch. The dawn was rapidly approaching, and if he could only hold out…

Unfortunately, the night’s shadows claimed him before the sun’s rays shimmered on the horizon.

*^*^*

“Perhaps man has proposed enough for one night,” Shintarou offered, cleaning the last of Tetsuya’s wounds. The youngest member remained comatose in his mate’s lap, Seijuro’s body curled about him in a fiercely protective manner. To ease Seijuro’s discomfort of not being able to heal Tetsuya, each member of the Teikou Coven, including its newest ones, helped to close Tetsuya’s many wounds. 

Seijuro glanced over his shoulder one last time before placing a gentle kiss upon Tetsuya’s crown and nodded to Taiga and Daiki. “I will join you at the tower.”

“Are you sure about this?” Taiga questioned. Apparently, he still saw Seijuro as his sire, even if Seijuro was now mortal. “Tetsuya practically made Shirogane a pin-cushion. He won’t move before sunrise.”

“No,” Seijuro objected. “I need to see this.”

The rest of the coven understood. Atsushi ruffled his hair like he was petting a kitten and Daiki nudged Seijuro in the shoulder. Shinatrou pushed up his glasses before patting Seijuro’s back. Teikou and their allied covens and packs abandoned the court then, disappearing into the shadows of the early morning hours. 

Alone on the court, Seijuro settled upon the ground next to the unconscious Shirogane, watching him with a silver dagger pressed firmly in the middle of palm. And he waited and waited and waited, apprehension tingling on the tips of his frayed nerves. But then a warm being pressed against his side and whined softly. Nigou, in his dog form, buried his face in Seijuro’s hip before laying his head in Seijuro’s lap, wanting to be petted. 

Seijuro almost thought Ryouta wanted the same once he sat cross-legged next to Seijuro and began to whine as well, throwing an arm about Seijuro’s shoulders and demanding attention. Reo came to sit behind him, effectively protecting Seijuro from any supernatural attacks. 

To Seijuro’s surprise—with Ryouta, Reo, and Nigou by his side—the excruciating minutes passed faster than he believed possible, and with the dawn came the Queen of the Fae and her flutter. 

There would be no mourning or tears. The vampire before him deserved neither, and Seijuro felt only relief as he watched the human Shirogane turn to stone. 

_To Be Concluded…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...this is all she wrote, folks...for now. There will be an epilogue, and it is my next big project to write (minus the 30-Day Drabble Challenge I'm doing). I do have other projects that will probably go up first since they are completely written, but I will make the epilogue a priority. Thanks for reading, and I'll be back (soon)!


	22. The Teikou Empire

Tetsuya found Seijuro standing before the two-story windows of Teikou Tower. The glass remained missing from the battle with Shirogane almost a month prior, and as the abyss of night still claimed Tokyo, Tetsuya came to the coven leader’s side, fingers sliding to entwine with Seijuro’s and offer a gentle squeeze. 

Tetsuya delighted in the warmth of his lover’s touch. Perhaps out of all the coven members, he felt completely comfortable standing in silence with Seijuro. From the rundown ryokan to a basketball court in Asakusa, to hell and back – there was nothing left to be said between them. Seijuro’s presence alone was comfort to Tetsuya, and he reveled in it. 

They bore the scars of the battle upon their bodies, scars and bruises and bandaged wounds. They hadn’t had time to relax. After the battle, news of the Dark Claws’ defeat spread through Tokyo, and the Teikou Coven needed to reform and strike, along with their allied covens, to restore order. 

And now, finally, the war was over. 

Perhaps the battles came short at the end, but when Tetsuya thought about the war, it lasted much longer than they originally believed. It had been building for years, perhaps before he was even born – the vampires versus the werewolves, the werewolves versus the Fae, and the Pure and the humans – fodder for them all. 

The races weren’t perfect. There would be lingering disagreements, battles, and heartaches, but peace reigned and Teikou would ensure it. They would make it their mission to stop such travesties from happening again, and they were stronger now. As a coven that spread across multiple races, packs, and clans, Teikou was stronger than ever – because it never had been just a coven. It had always been and always would be a family. 

As such, they combed Tokyo until they found Alex and Nakatani. The Dark Claws kept Tetsuya’s parents in the newly built ryokan on the same street where Tetsuya had spent his years captive. As Shirogane had revealed, Alex carried Nakatani’s baby, and the adorable bundle of energy they named Sekiguchi Toru. 

A vampire. 

The knowledge weighed heavily upon both Tetsuya and Seijuro, who perhaps selfishly wanted to no longer be alone in the world, but hundreds of years yielded only one Pure. Perhaps centuries needed to past before another would be born. 

Or perhaps, there would not be another one. Maybe Seijuro and Tetsuya were the last of their kind. 

Seijuro inhaled a sharp breath and let it out slowly. “I’m not sure…how to feel. It’s surreal, Tetsuya. Finally being free. I – I always feared Shirogane returning, and when his father surfaced all those years ago and Reo slew him – I selfishly thought it was over. I thought Eiji would return then, if he ever would, but he didn’t. And now – ”

“—you’re afraid he’ll come back.”

Seijuro shook his head. “No, I know he’s gone. I watched the Fae turn his body to stone and take him away. But…I don’t – I don’t know what’s ahead of me anymore. I’m no longer a vampire but not quite mortal. I’m not sure what to do…or what to _be._ ”

Tetsuya’s hand skimmed across Seijuro’s cheek and drew him close, until their foreheads pressed together. Tetsuya kept his eyes closed, well aware that Seijuro had not, but that was alright. If Seijuro sought answers from him, then he’d supply them as best he could. 

“Sei-san doesn’t have to make any decisions now. The war just ended. Perhaps time does not heal all wounds – ” He was not surprised when Seijuro gripped his wrist, right where Daiki had sunk his teeth into it. “ – but it will give you a better perspective.”

“And what if I wanted away from all this?” Seijuro asked, voice muted from strain and uncertain. “What if I asked you to leave Tokyo and never return?”

“To be a Charm of two?” Tetsuya offered. “I would go wherever Sei wishes, but that is not what you will decide.”

“How do you know?”

“Because Sei has never run away from anything, least of all his family.”

Seijuro tensed against Tetsuya, struck and hesitant, before his arms slipped about Tetsuya’s waist, cradling his back and holding him close. His voice was indulgent, tender. “Hm. You never give up, do you?”

Tetsuya felt the smile tug on the edge of his lips. “It’s not in my nature.”

“…will you help me, Tetsuya? Find my new place in this world?”

Tetsuya’s lips met Seijuro’s in a slow, sensual glide, exploring, savoring, enjoying their new-found intimacy, and when they broke finally, both a bit breathless, Tetsuya relented, “You don’t even need to ask.”

As the sky warmed with orange and gold hues upon the horizon, Tetsuya opened his eyes to find Seijuro’s aglow with the glint of life and love. They were dual flames, shimmering with the sweet essence of gold, but they were also wondering, worrying. 

“What do you want to do, Tetsuya?”

Tetsuya blinked at the question, taken back, but the answer came so easily, too easily. And perhaps, years too late. “I wasn’t sure at first. For a while, I felt uncomfortable, being in a coven. I didn’t when I first came to be with Teikou, but then, as time went, things changed. I thought I belonged in a clan, with mortals, but we’re all mortals.”

“Vampires die,” Seijuro added, his eyes going soft, most likely thinking of Reo. 

Tetsuya nodded, eyes solemn. “Vampires may live longer, but they are not infallible. And if the war taught us anything, Sei, it’s that we’re all the same. We all want the same thing – to save the ones we love and cherish the bonds we’ve formed. I can think of only one bond that I cannot live without.”

He’d tried. By the blood, he’d tried, but five years wasn’t enough to shatter the bond completely. And he thought, no matter what, he’d never be free of the Teikou Coven. Where at one time he had no one but Shige, he now had a family, one that he would die to safekeep. 

The bonds of a coven ran deeper than any blood, tethered to each vampire’s soul. 

“Are you sure about this?” Seijuro demanded. “You’ve been fighting your entire life not to become a vampire.”

“I fought my entire life to simply live, Sei. Everyone has always controlled me and told me how I should survive. The Dark Claws bled me. You and Teikou imprisoned me. Even when I was part of the Seirin Slayers, I was always hiding, unable to take control of my life.”

By forfeiting his status as a Pure – he wasn’t denying whom he was but accepting whom he was becoming, whom he had become. 

“This is my choice, Sei. I’m deciding my future. For the first time in my life, I am going to live.”

Tetsuya hoped Seijuro could one day feel the immense relief he felt at that very moment, to be free of the constrictions and make the decision for himself. No longer did he have to answer to others, to be limited to the chaste his blood had banished him. Instead, he would break away from it, take control of his own path, and forge ahead as he saw fit. 

Seijuro hesitated. “The trust you’d be putting into one person’s hands – are you sure that is wise?”

“If that person is Taiga-kun, then I need not worry,” Tetsuya explained, hands seizing Seijuro’s and holding them between their warm bodies. “We already shared a soul once. I do not know of a kinder, purer being in the world.”

Which was ironic, if Seijuro’s smirk was any indication. 

Tetsuya’s tiny smile disarmed Seijuro, so he caught the former vampire off guard when he asked, “Who do you trust more than your own soul, Sei?”

*^*^*

“Are you sure about this?” 

Seijuro took a bracing breath, eyes daring to meet Tetsuya’s. With their fingers entangled, warmth still evident, he indulged for a few more moments before Tetsuya interjected, “Sei does not have to, if he does not wish to.”

“I wish to, Tetsuya.” Seijuro steeled his back and lifted his chin to meet Shuuzo’s pointed inquiry. “You freed me from Shirogane’s command, Shuuzo. You welcomed me into Teikou and showed me what life was like as a free vampire, not one bound by the chains of a master. I wish to be bound again, but not to the chattel I knew, but by the bonds you helped create.” 

Shuuzo leaned against the island in the kitchen, his arms crossed, face stern but ponderous. “You do realize I’m not a part of Teikou anymore, right? I severed my bond with the coven when I left for America.”

“That could change, Nijimura-san,” Tetsuya offered. His expression appeared blank, though Seijuro could see his eyes sparkling with mischief. “You began Teikou. It is because of you that we are here today. You will always have a place within its ranks. Never feel otherwise.”

Shuuzou stared at Tetsuya, eyes incredulous and suspicious, though his cheeks flushed with a bright red tinge. He thumbed at Tetsuya, though spoke to Seijuro. “I remember him liking to hide. Quiet. Reserved. What happened to that?”

“Daiki-san.”

From beyond the kitchen, a loud bellow sounded, “Oi! Shut up, you bastard.”

Seijuro followed Tetsuya’s glance, then smiled a polite grin. “I do not believe he was talking to you.”

“I was just trying to help,” Taiga screamed back, and as Tetsuya sighed dramatically, Shuuzo shook his head. 

“Those two are together? _Really?_ I could easily see them taking each other apart.”

“Yes,” Seijuro and Tetsuya said as one.

“In more ways than one.”

_“Tetsuya.”_

“I was bonded to Taiga-kun,” Tetsuya mused, eyes drooping. “It is fact, Sei.” 

“And you seriously think I want to come back to that?” Shuuzo scoffed. 

Tetsuya nodded. “Nijimura-san is an unbonded vampire. Wounded. Prey. You have been under the influence of Shirogane for the last three years. You need time to heal, and Teikou can give you that.”

Another clash, more swearing. 

Nijimura sighed and stomped forward, muttering under his breath, “They better not have broken anything.”

Seijuro blinked and watched him go before turning to Tetsuya. “Should I take that as a yes?”

More shouting, this time embittered words followed by muffled apologies. 

“Yes, it appears Nijimura-san is staying.”

“Hm. I shall hope he realizes he will be _my_ second-in-command.”

“And here I thought you were mine.”

Seijuro’s blown-wide eyes were a gift, though Tetsuya schooled his face to remain neutral and give nothing away, especially since he’d spoken the truth. 

*^*^*

The warm glow of the sun’s rays caressed Tetsuya’s skin, their presence a familiar touch that he soon would forget. The breathtaking sights known as dusk and dawn he took for granted, and as Tetsuya watched the onslaught of night arrive, he realized what a fool he’d been to ever curse them. 

But the natural wonders were a small price to pay for the emotional ones he cherished night after night. 

From so many years apart from the Teikou Coven, he’d learned not to take life and the people within it for granted. Immortality was only an illusion for vampires, their lives prolonged and perhaps more torturous, but just as tentative as their human prey. Even undead, they could die. Even superhuman, they could fall. There was no escape from death’s cruel touch, and though Tetsuya had cheated it time and time again, he couldn’t forever. 

He wanted to cherish the time he had with his family. After everything he’d been through – after the wars, after the pain – he wanted to end the needless struggle. 

Because Teikou was a coven and he was not a vampire. 

He was different – stronger, more agile, more cunning – and maybe he would never quite be the predator the others were. But he wouldn’t allow others to sacrifice for him anymore. He wouldn’t allow the Dark Claws or any separatist fraction to challenge Teikou again with his blood. 

He wouldn’t be prey any longer. 

Night darkened the sky, stars shimmering with hope and encouragement. The door behind Tetsuya cracked open, but he didn’t need to turn to know who entered. 

“Are you sure about this?”

“More than anything.”

“There’s no going back cuz…y’know, you would be the one to reverse it.”

“I have made my decision, and I will not regret it.”

“...are you sure he’s worth it?”

“Were you sure Daiki-san was worth it, Taiga-kun?” Tetsuya accused, pivoting to glare at the startled Taiga. “It is not just Sei for whom I wish to do this. My entire family are vampires – you, Aniki, Daiki-san, Shin-san, Atsushi-san, Ryouta-kun, Kazu-kun, Alex-san. I am not giving up my life as you so believe, Taiga-kun. I will finally begin to live it.”

At one time, Seijuro said he wouldn’t allow Tetsuya to be consumed by the darkness, and he’d kept his promise. 

Instead, Tetsuya embraced it. 

Taiga went silence and pensive, though Tetsuya continued to stare at the new night sky. It was infinite and mesmerizing, the moon’s silver shimmer luring Tetsuya like a siren’s song. There was no hesitation when Taiga finally struck, teeth sharp and swift, breaking the soft skin between Tetsuya’s neck and shoulder in one bite. The intense chill he’d skirted his entire life seeped into his bones, spreading from the point of entry down his shoulders and settling in his heart. 

It slowed as the blood within Tetsuya’s veins cooled and thickened, but to his surprise, it didn’t offend him. It was a comforting sensation, reminding him of Ryouta’s enveloping hugs, Daiki’s hair ruffles, Seijuro’s chilling embraces, Atsushi’s gentle pats, and Shintarou’s awkward holds. 

The world cleared and sharpened. Taiga’s breath pounded in his ear; the scent of cheeseburgers and blood infiltrated his nostrils. The artificial warmth of Taiga’s bloodied body suddenly burned against his cooling back, but even more fierce than his senses, a blistering warmth surged in his chest. The fractured slithers of his soul, the ones that shattered when their blood seal was severed, began to re-forge. Tetsuya gasped, one hand coming up to cradle Taiga’s cheek. 

This was how Shirogane found them all those times. The sudden awareness of his sire, the intimate connection – it rivaled that of a blood seal.

As the last bit of Tetsuya’s humanity slipped away, replaced it with the frigid cost of immortality, he couldn’t find it in his heart to mourn it as his family’s presence gathered about him. Shige first, always Shige first, followed by Daiki, Seijuro, Ryouta, Shintarou, and Atsushi – 

– then Yukio, Kazu-kun, Aniki, Shuuzo, and Taiga. 

His family. 

His coven. 

_Finally._

*^*^*

_After_

“Can they just shut up?” Daiki snarled, face contorted in pain as the werewolf howls reached a new octave. “They seriously can’t think they sound good.”

Sitting on a stool on the opposite side of the bar, Tetsuya laughed and sipped his Crimson Lagoon, delighting in Daiki’s frustrated grimace. “They are singing, Daiki-san.”

“Are my ears bleeding? It feels like they’re bleeding.”

“You’re just old,” Shige interjected, blasting past Tetsuya to steal his drink. “They say hearing is the first thing to go.”

“Oi! Like two you are any better.”

“We _are_ better, by two hundred years.”

“It’s a good thing you did the math, Shige-chan. Daiki-san has difficulty.”

Daiki sighed dramatically. “How the hell did I end up with bastards like you? Seriously. Should have left you both on the court.”

“Daiki-san is a liar.”

“Aw, Daiki! You love us!”

Daiki rolled his eyes as he poured the contents of a blood packet into a shaker, dusting it off with the necessary liquor. “And yet, I don’t get presents for Father’s Day.”

Shige leaned over to whisper to Tetsuya, “We should have gotten him the mug by now.”

“Hm. It’s been a few hundred years,” Tetsuya replied, snatching back his drink. 

“But just the mug, not the keychain. He’s not worthy of that yet.”

“Seriously. How the hell did I end up with you – ”

“Hey, Aho!” Wakamatsu shouted from down the bar, though his growl held no heat. “We’ve got customers. Do your job.”

“Hey, I don’t see you doing anything – uh!” 

Daiki’s cheeks blossomed with a vibrant red tinge, and he swung toward the offending person with a glare that would burn a mortal’s skin. “Do you mind, huh? I’m working.”

As Taiga’s hand came away from Daiki’s backside, the younger vampire held no remorse. “It was sticking out there, begging me to hit it.”

Shige slapped his hands over the sides of Tetsuya’s head, hissing, “Innocent ears! Innocent ears!”

As if in the last hundred years, he hadn’t been in a committed relationship. 

Daiki huffed. “Oh, I’ll hit something, all right.”

Taiga hummed, strong arms snaking about Daiki’s waist from behind as he rested his chin upon his lover’s shoulder. “You promise?”

Tetsuya snorted into his drink as Daiki motioned toward him. “Hey! Not in front of my kids.”

“Yes, please, not in front of us, Taiga-chan.”

“I’m barely older than you, Tetsu.”

Daiki growled as he mixed a drink before spilling the contents into a glass. “Fuck. I _am _old.”__

__Tetsuya just grinned, lips pursed about his straw, while Shige settled upon his stool, dropping his chin onto his propped up hands. They shared a laughing glance when Daiki scowled, the werewolves howling along with the band’s score once more._ _

__Tetsuya indulged. In the middle of the night, the Moonlight Tavern buzzed with palpable energy, the dance floor filled to the brim with vampires, slayers, and werewolves alike. Surrounding it, the supernatural races mingled as well, occupying high tables and wooden booths, drinking and laughing and enjoying themselves._ _

__The Teikou Empire._ _

__After what is now known as the Winter War, Teikou welcomed new members into their coven – Shige, Yukio, Tatsuya, Kazunari, and Makoto, plus Shuuzo. From the single, strongest coven in Tokyo to a cluster of vampire fractions grew the empire, headed by Akashi Seijuro. Along with the Shuutoku, Yosen, Touou, and Rakuzan covens, plus the Kirisaki Daiichi Pack and Seirin Slayers, stability reigned in Tokyo, a feat that had never been achieved before – or so it was believed._ _

__A large being slammed into Tetsuya’s back, catching him off guard, but he immediately relaxed once he saw the golden strands of Ryouta’s hair. “Kurokocchi! Tell your big scary werewolf not to attack me.”_ _

__Makoto’s familiar growl sounded behind them, and Tetsuya sighed, minorly annoyed. “What did you do this time, Ryouta-chan?”_ _

__“Why do you assume I did something?”_ _

__“Because you always do,” Taiga interjected, helping Daiki to mix some orders._ _

__“But I didn’t this time! I just tried to help him with his knots, maybe add some conditioner to his mane.”_ _

__Tetsuya felt a headache coming and forced himself to ask, “Why?”_ _

__Ryouta tsked, wrapping about Tetsuya to use him and Shige as a shield. “Just because he is a werewolf doesn’t mean he can’t have luscious hair, Kurokocchi.”_ _

__But that wasn’t the problem, not really, for when Makoto approached in his human form, eyes savage, sharp teeth gleaming, his once pitched dark hair now shimmered with blonde streaks._ _

__They’d known each other more than a century now, and still – Ryouta was a _chan._ And the title was deserved. “Really, Ryouta-chan?”_ _

__Makoto’s claws extended. “Allow me to do a little plastic surgery, Kise!”_ _

__“But it looks good on you!”_ _

__Shige snorted. “You made him look like a skunk.”_ _

__Makoto lunged them, but Tetsuya interceded, catching the werewolf before his claws could sink into Ryouta. “Makoto-chan, I hear Taiga-chan has some chocolate-covered bacon strips – don’t you, Taiga-chan?”_ _

__“I do?”_ _

__Daiki hit him in the gut._ _

__“Oh, right! I do! Come on, mutt. Let’s get a few.”_ _

__Makoto hissed and snarled once more at Ryouta before following Taiga around the bar and into the back room. As soon as he was out of an earshot, Tetsuya attacked, slamming his fingers into Ryouta’s gut._ _

__“Ryouta-chan is not to torment Makoto-chan. Do I make myself clear?”_ _

__“But – But I was only trying to – ”_ _

__“Is that clear?”_ _

__Ryouta whined and clutched his stomach, pain shoving out loud gasps. He nodded frantically._ _

__“Good. Now go apologize and hide behind Taiga-kun at all times, please.” Makoto wouldn’t maim Taiga, but Tetsuya couldn’t say the same for Ryouta._ _

__“Dai-chan! I said Crimson Slusher, not Rocky Red!” Satsuku huffed before hitting Shige in the shoulder. “Shige-chan, will you help this idiot? Table Four wants their drinks _today.”__ _

__Shige did as asked, and they worked in a comfortable tandem, part of the same coven and even the same soul. Daiki was accurate when calling Tetsuya and Shige “his kids,” and in more than a hundred years, Daiki had grown, helping the Touou Coven at Moonlight Tavern, once more taking his place as Teikou’s ace (along with Taiga-kun), and reaching out to the coven’s various members. He had truly grown up._ _

__“Dai-chan! Do not spray Shige-kun with the bar hose! Ah!”_ _

__…or as close as Daiki would ever get._ _

__Tetsuya leaned back against the bar, enjoying the entertaining exchange in a far booth, Shintarou and Kazunari huddled in the corner. They spoke to each other with obvious affection, even after all these years, and when Kazu-chan leaned close to whisper into Shintarou’s ear, the older vampire didn’t bristle or pull away. Instead he leaned into the touch and even cupped Kazu-chan’s cheek with a gentle caress._ _

__Rakuzan occupied another booth not too far away, the entire coven – plus Reo and Shuuzo – rowdy as Eikichi scarfed down bowl after bowl of ramen, and Hayama even took bets on how many the burly vampire could shove into his mouth._ _

__Atsushi and Tatsuya walked in then, annoyingly affectionate, Atsushi’s chin resting upon Tatsuya’s head, and across the bar, Taiga let out a hum of delight when Daiki bumped into his side. The ace snorted, then ruffled Shige’s hair, while Makoto padded from the kitchen in his dog form, whimpering and laying his head upon Tetsuya’s lap._ _

__The Teikou Coven came together every year in the rebuilt Moonlight Tavern, to celebrate each other and the strong bond they shared, and their connection thrummed in collective affection._ _

__Tetsuya reveled in the fierce warmth that came from the cold-blooded creatures, and smiled as he trailed his hand along Makoto’s fur._ _

__“We have you to thank for this, Tetsuya.”_ _

__Tetsuya smiled without turning, even as cool lips pressed against his smooth cheek from behind. “Sei is too generous. Teikou is more than just one vampire.”_ _

__“Perhaps.” The lips dusted across his jaw and down his neck, each press sending a shiver up his spine. “But there is no denying that without you, we would not be here today.”_ _

__“The same could be said for Taiga-kun and Shuuzo-san.” Tetsuya turned his head to capture Seijuro’s lips in a searing embrace. Even after all these years, Seijuro still stole Tetsuya’s breath, and when they broke, he pressed his forehead against his lover’s. “And I am grateful for every member of my coven.”_ _

__Seijuro hummed, his fingertips teasing Tetsuya’s cheek, even as Makoto snorted and trotted away. “Then perhaps you’ll let me thank you for being by my side the last century.”_ _

__“Sei could have just brought me a vanilla milkshake.”_ _

__Seijuro’s eyes glanced away, eyes darkening from their usual crimson brilliance, but a simple touch of Tetsuya’s hands upon his cheeks brought him back. “Do you ever regret it, Tetsuya? Becoming a vampire, giving up your mortality?”_ _

__“Why should I?” Tetsuya said, offended. “What I gave up was nothing compared to what I gained.”_ _

__“Hm.”_ _

__The look upon Seijuro’s face frightened Tetsuya. “Is Sei not convinced?”_ _

__“There is something I have not told you – about me.”_ _

__“An element of surprise is good in most relationships, I hear.”_ _

__“It’s about the mark of death I placed upon Taiga’s name.”_ _

__At the mention of the sired vampire, Tetsuya shifted to see Taiga, who laughed alongside a mildly annoyed but thoroughly enamored Daiki. They both fulfilled drink orders while putting on a show. After all, their everyday bickering was as entertaining as anything on TV._ _

__Tetsuya waited, not wanting to push Seijuro, but his partner relented quickly. “The mark of death – it’s a blood ritual that requires payment, Tetsuya. And I paid.”_ _

__Though dread immediately seized Tetsuya, he waited, knowing Seijuro would eventually continue._ _

__“Vampires are not immortal. They have longer life spans. Age does not kill them, but almost everything else can. So the only thing left for a vampire to forfeit – ”_ _

__“ – is death itself.”_ _

__Seijuro gave a solemn nod._ _

__It made sense. When ordering another vampire’s death, one needed to provide their own as payment, and that was what Shirogane must have done. When planning their final strategy for the Winter War, Seijuro said they couldn’t just gut Shirogane with a silver dagger and be done with him. Instead, they needed the Fae to turn him to stone, cursing him to live for all eternity as a statue in the Imperial Gardens._ _

__Tetsuya’s chest clenched. “But-But Taiga-kun didn’t die.”_ _

__“Yes.” Seijuro let out a humorless laugh. “He received a fate worse than death.”_ _

__To serve the Emperor of Teikou for all eternity._ _

__“You guys love to be dramatic,” Taiga interjected, placing a Crimson Slusher in front of Seijuro. “Here. Drink. I love drunk Sei. He’s way more fun.”_ _

__Seijuro furled an eyebrow. “Excuse me, Taiga-kun? I am always a delight.”_ _

__“Sure, sure.” He pushed the drink two slides closer to Seijuro. “But you sing karaoke off key when you’re drunk and forget to speak with honorifics. And remember that one time you took Kazu to be Tetsu, and – and that was just – ”_ _

__Tetsuya’s eyebrows shot up. “I do not believe I know of this story. Perhaps Taiga-kun can enlighten me.”_ _

__“Go away,” Seijuro ordered, cheeks flushed pink, eyes glowing that venomous crimson, but Taiga rolled his eyes and ruffled Seijuro’s hair. There was no “sire” order in Seijuro’s words, though Taiga listened a few moments later._ _

__Seijuro glared at Tetsuya. “You had to pick _him_ to share a blood seal.”_ _

__“Sei turned Taiga-kun into a vampire.”_ _

__“At your insistence.”_ _

__“Do not change the subject. What is this about you and Kazu –?” Pure amusement flittered through his words, though Seijuro just sulked, eyes narrowed, face hardened._ _

__“I believe it is you who is changing the subject, Tetsuya. We were talking about the mark of death.”_ _

__Tetsuya allowed him off the hook for now and stole Seijuro’s drink. “Or lack thereof. Sei needs to worry less and drink more.”_ _

__“How can you be so nonchalant about this? Tetsuya, one day I may – ”_ _

__“ – be alone? Sei, you have an entire coven that says differently. We are all ageless, given a life others cannot imagine.”_ _

__“Tetsuya – ”_ _

__“And you worry you may be immortal? We are all immortal if we do not die, and it is my prerogative to live with you for eternity – like Taiga-kun, perhaps serving in quite a different fashion.”_ _

__Seijuro’s hands trembled as they latched onto Tetsuya’s. “And it is my honor to care for you.”_ _

__“Then it is settled.” Tetsuya drew Seijuro close then, arms sliding up Seijuro’s shoulders. His fingers entangled in Seijuro’s hair as he pushed into his lover, drinking up every ounce of affection Seijuro held for him and hording it for himself._ _

__Seijuro’s arms curled about his back and waist, holding him close, and when they parted, he whispered against Seijuro’s lips, “Forever and ever, Sei. You are mine.”_ _

__As if to prove his point, he dipped his head and spread his scent across Seijuro’s vulnerable neck, marking Seijuro, just like Seijuro marked him all those years ago into the rundown ryokan._ _

__And Seijuro let him._ _

__Kazunari rested an elbow upon Seijuro’s shoulder. “As a kisser, I’d give him a six, maybe seven. What you do think, Tetsu-chan?”_ _

__Shintarou bellowed. Seijuro choked, and Taiga placed down another drink in front of the coven leader._ _

__Tetsuya laughed. There were worse things in life than his mate mistaking him for Kazunari, and one of them happened to be Shintarou, sitting alone in the booth across the room. Once he saw Tetsuya’s eyes, he bristled and flinched away, which Tetsuya would not stand. Finishing his drink, he weaved about the various tables and drunken patrons to slip onto the bench opposite Shintarou and offer a sad smile._ _

__“You always avoid me on this day, Shin-san.”_ _

__Shintarou took a short sip of his beer before replying, “You’re imagining things.”_ _

__“A hundred years of denial is long even for you, Shin-san.” When Shintarou refused to meet his eyes, Tetsuya dropped a hand to Shintarou’s and squeezed. “I do not believe I ever thanked you for what you did for me that day all those years ago.”_ _

__Shintarou swallowed. “I do not know to what you are referring.”_ _

__“You attacked Shige-kun in my defense, and I do not believe I have ever given you my gratitude.”_ _

__“I almost killed Ogiwara, Kuroko. It caused you great pain. It led to you becoming a vampire, and – ”_ _

__“I am here because I want to be here, Shin-san. I am here because of the actions of our family, our coven. I’m here before Daiki-san refused to abandon me to the Dark Claws, because Seijuro welcomed me into the coven, because Taiga took a blood seal to save me, because Teikou went to war to protect me. Because you protected me on that court all those years ago.” He smiled and reached out through their bond, touching upon each of Teikou’s members – Daiki, Taiga, Shige, Tatsuya, Atsushi, Ryouta, Makoto, Shuuzo, Satsuki, Kazunari, Seijuro, and finally, Shintarou, whose reserved smile was as precious as light during the new moon._ _

__“I am here because there is nowhere else I’d rather be.”_ _

__Shintarou smiled. “Aquarius is number one in the horoscopes today.”_ _

__Daiki dropped next to Tetsuya and ruffled his hair. “It’s about damn time.”_ _

__

___Omake:_ _ _

__Shige wrapped an arm about Tetsuya’s neck and announced, “Tetsuya’s on my team!”_ _

__“That’s fine,” Daiki replied, shrugging a shoulder. “I got Taiga.”_ _

__Ryouta whined from the side of the court and began to sniffle as Seijuro came up to his side. “Do not worry, Ryouta-kun. You can play on Tetsuya and Shigehiro’s team. I will play on Taiga and Daiki’s team.”_ _

__“I’ve got Ryouta!” Taiga called._ _

__“That’s fine. I’ll crush Shige again.”_ _

__“You wish, Daiki!”_ _

__Seijuro smiled a lustful grin as he approached the teams. “I’ll take Tetsuya.”_ _

__Tetsuya returned it. “Sei better keep his fangs to himself.”_ _

__“I can’t make any promises, Tetsuya.”_ _

___The End_ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for sticking it out with me this last year. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! *hugs and promptly passes out*


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